Italian construction company Webuild has commenced the construction of a section of the Ragusa-Catania motorway, a road transport corridor along Sicily’s eastern coast in Italy.
The project, initiated by ANAS, part of FS Italiane Group and the concessionaire for the Italian road and motorway network, is one among eight projects for doubling the Palermo-Catania-Messina ‘high-capacity’ railway line.
The Ragusa-Catania motorway, a project undertaken on behalf of RFI, the railway infrastructure management division of FS Italiane Group, is intended to shorten travel times between Sicily’s key cities.
The railway initiative includes 200km of new track and will utilise 19 large tunnel boring machines (TBMs) provided by Webuild.
Webuild stated it will focus on local employment in this project and create an estimated 7,000 direct and indirect jobs.
Construction of the Ragusa-Catania Motorway Section (Lot 1) is underway, with foundational and vertical structures of the Vallone delle Coste Viaduct being erected.
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By GlobalDataThis reinforced concrete viaduct, claimed to be a pivotal structure, will link Ragusa, Catania, and Syracuse provinces, providing enhanced travel times and road safety for commuters and freight.
Simultaneously, the Palermo-Catania-Messina railway development, part of the TEN-T European rail corridor, is advancing, Webuild stated.
The completion of the new line will enable travel from Palermo to Catania in just two hours and from Messina to Catania in 45 minutes.
On Lot 4b of the Nuova Enna-Dittaino, TBMs Atena and Demetra are being prepared for the excavation of the Sicani tunnels.
Nearby, on Lot 4A, Caltanissetta Xirbi-Nuova Enna, a new TBM has arrived for the Trinacria tunnel and is set to commence from the Catania-side portal.
Lot 6, Bicocca-Catenanuova, is nearing completion, with track installation followed by electrification works over approximately 38m of railway.
Webuild says its focus extends to training and hiring new staff, with a practical training centre in Belpasso providing a blend of theoretical and practical instruction.
Last year in June, Webuild achieved a milestone by completing the first segment of the railway doubling between the Catania Bicocca and Catenanuova stations in Sicily on behalf of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana.
