Webuild Group has been awarded an €803m ($925m) contract by Autostrade per l’Italia to construct the central section of the Genoa Undersea Road Tunnel in Genoa, Italy.
The project involves the most complex stretch of work, Lot B, which runs beneath the port basin and parts of the city centre.
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Webuild will carry out 90% of the work, with its subsidiary, SELI Overseas, responsible for the remaining 10%.
The new tunnel aims to improve mobility in Genoa by separating local traffic from port logistics, reducing congestion and strengthening connections between the city and one of the Mediterranean’s main logistics hubs.
The central section will extend 4.2km, with 3.4km constructed as tunnels in two separate parallel tubes for bidirectional travel.
The route links San Benigno in the west to Viale Brigate Partigiane in Genoa’s Foce district, passing under the port at depths exceeding 40m before surfacing beneath the Carignano district.
Excavation will use a tunnel-boring machine (TBM) nearly 16m in diameter to excavate a combined distance of roughly 7km.
The company stated it maintains approximately 65 TBMs worldwide, with 40 of these active, in assembly, or on order within Italy, reflecting its established role in underground infrastructure construction.
Webuild expects the development to generate more than 700 direct and indirect jobs during its execution.
Beyond improving mobility, the project includes urban regeneration measures, including landscaping at the tunnel entrances and the creation of Lanterna Park.
The park will utilise material excavated during tunnel construction, an approach described by Webuild as aligned with circular economy principles and aimed at reducing the environmental impact from materials transport.
Engineering challenges for the tunnel include construction below the seabed, tunnelling through difficult geological strata and undertaking works within Genoa’s densely populated urban and port areas, according to the company.
Webuild’s involvement in the Genoa Undersea Road Tunnel follows its participation in two other major local infrastructure programmes: the New Breakwater for Genoa port and the Terzo Valico dei Giovi–Genoa Junction, a high-capacity rail link to Milan.
Together, these measures are designed to strengthen Genoa’s connections to the Rhine–Alpine Corridor, a key Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) route linking major industrial centres across Europe.
