ANAS Italian road upgrades and traffic management

In late July 2026 the state‑owned road agency ANAS rolled out two high‑profile projects. On 21 July it opened the “Green Island” rest area on the A2 Autostrada del Mediterraneo in Calabria, featuring high‑power electric‑vehicle chargers, a photovoltaic plant and other renewable‑energy systems intended to create an autonomous energy hub for sustainable mobility. The same day it completed upgrades to the Tremonzelli tunnel on the A19 Palermo‑Catania highway, adding improved lighting, ventilation, fire‑safety, video surveillance and remote emergency management, with traffic to be shifted to the refurbished carriageway by the end of the month.

A week later, on 30 July, ANAS reported further progress on separate works. In Amatrice, Lazio, officials inspected the 1.3‑km Variante bypass of state road 260 “Picente”, noting that 37 % of the project was finished, with all viaduct pile foundations in place and steel decking work commencing. The bypass is aimed at revitalising the earthquake‑damaged Apennine area. Concurrently, ANAS announced a European Union tender for the widening of the historic Tunnel di Tenda on the Italy‑France border, a €140 million investment that will enlarge the carriageway, add emergency lanes and upgrade safety systems, with bids due by 7 September.

Also on 30 July, ANAS warned of a “black badge” weekend as more than 26 million vehicle trips were expected on Italian highways and state roads. To alleviate congestion, the agency suspended or closed 1 175 construction sites—about 83 % of active works—and deployed roughly 2 500 staff to regional control rooms and technical crews. Heavy‑vehicle bans were imposed during peak periods, and motorists were urged to plan journeys, check vehicle condition and observe speed limits. These actions illustrate ANAS’s dual focus on expanding and modernising infrastructure while managing intense seasonal traffic flows as part of its broader Smart Road programme.