Winter operations

Every year, Autostrade per l'Italia and the Italian Traffic Police jointly draw up and implement a complex snow emergency management plan to ensure suitable road conditions on highway stretches as well as motorist safety. The aim is that of:

• encoding the various snow emergency phases, indicating operational coordination and user information measures for each phase.
• taking appropriate action, including the temporary restriction of heavy vehicles, to ensure the best possible conditions and winter service vehicle performance.

In its Snow Plan, Autostrade per l'Italia envisages the involvement and the activation of:

• 9 radio rooms, a National Multimedia Centre and a National Traffic and Emergency Coordination Centre to monitor events and coordinate staff and winter service vehicles;
• 168 snow depots for the service vehicles and/or chloride deposits;
• 1024 snow ploughs;
• 183 salt gritters;
• 236 combination vehicles for spreading chlorides and clearing the snow;
• 149 calcium chlorides sprinklers;
• 156 mechanical shovels for loading the salt;
• 185 vehicles for clearing or removing snow from service areas, parking lots and toll booth areas;
• 26 Unimog vehicles equipped with ploughshares and rotors to remove snow build-ups in emergency lanes
• 61 heavy rescue vehicles to assist vehicles with gross vehicle weight of more than 7.5;
• 9 strategic sodium chloride deposits.

The Traffic Police also contributes to this with:

• 10 operational highway centres;
• 310 motor vehicles;
• 280 patrols per day;
• 1726 operators.

Autostrade per l'Italia and the Traffic Police keep the Prefecture and the competent local authorities continuously updated on all critical issues at every stage of the snow event. This allows the local authorities to take any necessary steps to restrict traffic throughout the area adjacent to the highway or to provide the necessary assistance in the event of blocked traffic.

Traffic and weather information

Information on weather and traffic conditions and, where applicable, and information on alternative routes, is passed on to motorists through the following channels:

• MY WAY – SKY channels 500 and 502 and channel 50 of digital terrestrial TV
• specific messages on variable message panels alerting motorists of road and weather conditions on the highway stretches affected by snow, of the steps taken by Autostrade per l'Italia and the Traffic Police to manage the snow event, and transmitting any type of information;
• RTL 102.5 and Isoradio 103.3 radio stations;
• Onda Verde news broadcast by CCISS Viaggiare Informati on Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio 3;
• Traffic Call Centre on 840.04.21.21;
• CCISS Operations Centre on 1518;
• www.autostrade.it and www.cciss.it websites

Winter Equipments (snow tyres or chains)
Legal requirements and no overtaking for trucks - Dates and Motorways

Autostrade per l'Italia asks motorists and road hauliers to ensure they are adequately equipped for the next winter season.

From November, motorists travelling on highway stretches at greater risk of snow or ice will be required to fit snow tyres or have snow chains on-board, in accordance with orders issued by Autostrade per l'Italia or by the authorities who own the highways (e.g. the State, regions, provinces or municipalities)

Motorists are alerted to the requirement to fit snow tyres or carry chains on-board by road signs that are placed along the highway stretches and entrance toll booths affected by the orders.

It should be borne in mind that suitable equipment translates as safety during bad weather, especially heavy snow.

Motorists not suitably equipped will incur financial penalties of between €80 and a maximum of €318 (art. 6, paragraph 14 of the Italian Highway Code).

The list of the highway stretches in which winter tyres or on-board chains are required between November and April, in accordance with orders issued by Autostrade per l'Italia, is set out below.
 

A list of the highway stretches in which vehicles with gross vehicle weight of more than 7.5 t are prohibited from overtaking, in accordance with orders issued by Autostrade per l'Italia, is set of below.
 

New variable message panels

Specific messages are immediately and continuously transmitted on variable message panels to alert motorists, throughout their journey, as to weather and road conditions on highway stretches affected by snow.

	High impact weather alert emitted With road salting activities
	Facilities and equipment ready to operate before snowfall has started With road salting activities
	No heavy or critical snow, with no effects on traffic Snowing but not at critical levels, except for some stretches. Traffic increasing or tending to increase
	Heavy snow with maximum snow management operations activated. First vehicles blocking the road
	First vehicles blocking the road because of skidding or loss of control. Vehicles sideways across the road and possible delays in removing them.