PIARC

Edited by Claudio Andrea GEMME, Chief Executive Officer at ANAS S.p.A. and PIARC Italia President.

Wherever major international events are taking place that will bring millions of people to travel across the Italian territory, Anas, the Italian National Road Authority managing state roads, is present with its know-how in the construction of important roadworks to strengthen transport links, as well as with its commitment to the national road and motorway network. From modernization works to new infrastructure, the goal is to ensure safety, smooth traffic flow and reduced travel times. These interventions intertwine mobility, development and the image of the country, transforming major events into a decisive test for Italian infrastructure.

Anas recently demonstrated this in two major international events: the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games of Milano-Cortina in the Veneto and Lombardia Regions, in Northern Italy, and the 2025 Jubilee in Rome, the Capital of Italy.

Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games

In the first case, Anas was involved, in a very short time, in 13 strategic projects with a total investment of €1.62 billion. The numbers speak for themselves: 1,250 workers and technicians from various companies, plus related suppliers, 630,000 cubic meters of concrete, 120,000 tons of steel and 1.2 million square meters of paving used.

In particular, in the Veneto Region, in the province of Belluno, the opening to traffic of the Tai and Valle di Cadore bypasses on the State Road 51 Alemagna marked a decisive step forward, in view of the start of the Olympics. Anas has thus achieved a significant milestone in its program to improve mountain roads in the Veneto Dolomites Mountain chain. This tangible commitment had already been launched with the 2021 World Ski Championships, affected by the lengthy authorisation process: more than three years of the seven that elapsed between the start of design and opening to traffic.

The two projects, inaugurated on January 26 at the end of the institutional ceremony and carried out in difficult contexts with the aim of improving the lives of all citizens, represent a total investment of approximately €185 million. Both projectsredesign accessibility to Cadore and Cortina d'Ampezzo towns along the State Road 51Alemagna, which is the main northbound route along the Boite Valley. The two tunnels required the movement of over 350,000 cubic meters of material, most of which was reused in a spirit of sustainability, minimising environmental impact. A total of more than 500 workers, over 30 subcontractors and approximately 150 operational vehicles were involved in the works, with constant technical supervision by Anas.

"With the opening of the Tai and Valle di Cadore bypasses, we are delivering to the Region two of the most important projects carried out by Anas in recent years in a mountainous area. We are no longer talking about construction sites or programs, but about infrastructure serving the country, demonstrating Anas' commitment to a more modern and safe mobility in a complex and constantly evolving mountain environment," said Anas CEO Claudio Andrea Gemme during the inauguration ceremony.

The Tai di Cadore bypass is 1.5 kilometers long and includes a tunnel of approximately 1,000 meters, new junctions and hydraulic works. The project required Anas to directly manage complex reclamation and protection activities for protected plant species, as well as the remodeling of the existing bike path. The total value of the work is approximately €110 million.

The Valle di Cadore bypass extends for 800 meters, 620 meters of which are in a tunnel and eliminates the historic bottleneck caused by the urban crossing of Borgata Costa town, which is regulated by traffic lights. The project significantly improves traffic flow and reduces interference with the town center thanks to new junctions and a roundabout on the east side. During the works, a Bronze Age settlement was discovered, proving that Valle di Cadore is one of the oldest inhabited places in the Dolomites Mountain chain. This discovery required a major reorganisation of the construction site activities. In coordination with the Superintendency, Anas undertook to manage a project to enhance the value of the findings. The total value of the work is approximately €75 million.

The Tai and Valle di Cadore bypasses are part of a program launched before the Olympic event, starting with funding from the 2021 World Ski Championships, which involved the entire axis of State Road 51 with a total investment of €360 million. In addition to the Tai, Valle and San Vito di Cadore bypasses, the program involved almost one hundred interventions. Many of these works are dedicated to mitigating hydrogeological instability in a mountainous context characterised by high geomorphological complexity, which is particularly susceptible to the consequences of ongoing climate change.

In the Lombardia Region too, Anas has contributed to improving local and regional road conditions thanks to the infrastructure works carried out for the Olympic Games. As a matter of fact, in January, ahead of schedule, the new Manzoni Bridge along State Road 36 "del Lago di Como e dello Spluga" was opened to traffic. The bridge, built by Anas alongside the existing one, significantly improves traffic flow between the two banks of the Adda River in the Lecco and Pescate towns along one of the strategic axes between Milano and the Valtellina territory. The conversion of the original structure to three lanes, made possible by the construction of the new bridge, responds to the need to separate urban traffic from long-distance traffic in order to ensure smoother and safer travel. The new infrastructure has a total length of 780 meters with a 10.50-meter-wide road platform. The main bridge over the Adda River, built with a steel deck, consists of four spans with a total length of 366.6 meters. The new bridge also features a 2.50-meter-wide bike path crossing the Adda River to promote soft mobility. The total investment for the new infrastructure amounts to €35.6 million.

Jubilee 2025

Not only sports, but also faith moves people. Welcoming the faithful from all over the world in the best possible way during this historic event, which usually occurs every 25 years in the Italian Capital, is essential. The Vatican has always been the heart of Rome. The history of the Jubilee is therefore closely linked to that of the city. The roads and infrastructure are the first thing tourists see when they arrive in Rome, whether by plane, train, bus or car. For these reasons, in the months leading up to the opening of the Holy Door in Rome, there was a great deal of activity of construction sites and complex infrastructure works.

Anas, in collaboration with the institutions, has been working for over two years to improve rail and road mobility in the capital with the aim of offering more functional areas and spaces to facilitate the movement of pilgrims. Anas has implemented a vast program of interventions: over €411 million was allocated to works in Rome for the Jubilee. In addition, the Ferrovie dello Stato Group, the Italian Railway Company of which Anas is a part, contributed to the completion of various maintenance works in the city of Rome.

Between the end of December 2024 and the beginning of January 2025, Anas renovated Piazza dei Cinquecento in front of the Termini train station and completed the Piazza Pia underpass, near the St. Peter’s Basilica. This was the most iconic work of the Jubilee, not only because of its close proximity to St. Peter's Square, but also because of its engineering commitment. The work on Piazza Pia involved the extension of the Lungotevere in Sassia underpass, with the aim of strengthening the pedestrian axis between Castel Sant'Angelo and St. Peter's Basilica. The road was brought underground through the extension of the existing underpass built as part of the works for the 2000 Jubilee.

The works for the Jubilee take us back to another of the most representative places: in addition to Piazza Pia, the large area adjacent to Castel Sant'Angelo, and the Tiber River and the beginning of Via della Conciliazione, there is also Piazza dei Cinquecento. This square is overlooked by that fine example of modern Italian architecture, Termini train station, with its striking canopy by Italian engineer and architect Pier Luigi Nervi and, on the opposite side, part of the monumental Terme di Diocleziano. Another key feature is a historic crossing such as the bold, metal 19th-century Ponte dell'Industria bridge, which has been dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi since December 2025. Another major work is the contemporary Tor Vergata motorway viaduct, which hosted the Youth Jubilee in August, together with the elevated section of Rome's eastern beltway, which is a major infrastructure project from the 1960s that, with its suspended modernity, has been the background and protagonist of numerous movie productions.

This series of recognisable and visible interventions, some of which have a strong impact, is accompanied by an incalculable and less visible number of road redevelopment works, ranging from extraordinary maintenance of the pavement of the main Roman “consular roads” to that of minor roads and connections. These activities also include the maintenance of green areas, cleaning and verification of the hydraulic functionality of the rainwater drainage network, as well as lighting systems, vertical and horizontal signage and acoustic and dividing barriers, all carried out by Anas to ensure maximum safety and sustainability.

Anas' mission is characterised by constant and immeasurable work. The goal is to create safer and more welcoming roads, which will become Italy's visiting card in a context where mobility is becoming increasingly essential for connecting different people and worlds.