Construction underway on Italian highways with more planned

Two key highway projects in Italy are exhibiting good progress at present. Construction work on the new Brescia-Milan highway link is now more than 50% complete. The bridges crossing the Serio, Adda and Oglio rivers are 84% complete, while the underpasses and drainage is 49% ready. Service stations, surveying and foundation work is 40% complete while the remaining operations are progressing. Italian road construction firm Brebemi believes that the highway be will be complete and open to traffic by 31 December 2012. The €2.4 billion financing agreement is being provided by a group of banks is expected to be finalised by November 2012. Meanwhile a loan from the 1054 European Investment Bank (EIB) worth €500 million has been granted to Italian highway operator 3623 Autostrade per l'Italia (ASPI). The first €250 million tranche of the loan will be used to develop the A1 tolled highway running from Florence-Bologna. The sum will be used for work on the Firenze Nord - Barberino del Mugello stretch of the highway. The A1 is one of Italy's main highways, forming part of the Transeuropean Transport Networks (TENs) Corridor 1.