Construction has begun on the Pedemontana Piemontese highway in northern Italy, a transportation project designed to improve connectivity across the industrial areas of eastern Piedmont.
The scheme is being executed by Webuild and its subsidiary, Cossi Costruzioni, who secured the €284m ($324m) contract from ANAS in May 2023. ANAS is the road building arm of Gruppo FS Italiane.
The new highway will create a direct link between the A4 Turin–Milan and A26 Genoa Voltri–Gravellona Toce motorways.
The route runs along the corridor between Masserano and Ghemme, aiming to support the movement of people and goods across the provinces of Vercelli, Biella and Novara.
Plans for the 15.4km-long section include six viaducts, one of which will cross the Sesia River for about 820m, along with six overpasses, six underpasses, four interchanges and new toll infrastructure.
Provisions for a future service area and hydraulic and environmental mitigation works are also included in the design.
An official ceremony marked the beginning of construction, attended by Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of Italy Matteo Salvini; Claudio Andrea Gemme, ANAS chief executive; and Nicola Meistro, senior vice-president of Webuild.
About 200 jobs are projected to be created both directly and indirectly as a result of the project, which is anticipated to generate employment and involve dozens of local suppliers.
The Pedemontana Piemontese is expected to enhance links between the national motorway system, local roads and the region's economic network.
The company also noted that its international infrastructure experience and Cossi Costruzioni’s strong local presence would contribute to delivery.
The project joins a series of infrastructure works being carried out by Webuild in northern Italy, where the group is involved in ten other developments. These include the Brenner Base Tunnel, Terzo Valico dei Giovi–Genoa rail line, Verona–Padua rail line and the Autostrada Pedemontana Lombarda.
Webuild states these sites employ more than 8,800 people and engage a supply chain of around 4,900 companies in the region.
In April, a consortium led by Webuild finished excavating the Caterina Tunnel, the first tunnel on Lot 1A of Italy’s Salerno-Reggio Calabria high-speed railway.
