A4 (Italy)

The Autostrada A4 is a major Italian motorway in the north of the country in an East-West direction, linking the cities of Turin, Milan, Brescia, Venice and Trieste.

Along the route there are various intersections with other arterial routes and city ring-roads. Between Turin and Venice the road is mainly 3 lanes + hard shoulder in both directions (except over some bridges and viaducts), with a bi-directional 4-lane sector between Milan and Bergamo. The final section from Venice to Trieste is two lanes each way, with widening works ongoing.

European Routes

The A4 is classified as a part of three European Routes:

• E64 between Turin and Brescia
• E70 between Brescia and Trieste
• E55 between the A57 and A23 junctions

History

The first segment of the A4 opened on the 24 September 1927 between Milan and Bergamo, with an extension to Brescia opening in 1931. Work on the Milan - Turin section of the road began in 1930, opening to traffic on the 25 October 1932 as a single carriageway, 8-metre wide road. With the increase in traffic levels, the carriageway was widened to 10 metres during the 1950s, with work completed in 1962. By the end of the decade, traffic had again increased, and the hard shoulder was replaced by a third lane in both directions. This modification meant that the lane width did not respect motorway standards, however the road was not de-classified. This created a dangerous situation, especially when foggy, and serious discussion regarding its improvement began in the 1980s.

Permission was granted in 2000 for improvement works to the Milan-Turin stretch, to be completed alongside the construction of a high-speed railway line along the same general route. The works, due to be completed in time for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin overran, and as of December 2014 only the sector between Turin and Novara is complete. The remaining upgrade of the Novara-Milan sector is due to be completed by 2015.

Other parts of the A4 were completed on the following dates:

• Venice - Padova - 15 October 1933
• Brescia - Padova - 10 February 1962
• Venice - Sistiana - Trieste - 22 February 1970

Until 8 February 2009, the A4 followed a route around the town of Mestre, until a new link further north was opened on that date. The old section was reclassified as the A57 Tangenziale di Mestre.

The A4 Today

The A4 is considered the busiest motorway in Italy taking into account number of vehicles per km.

The route represents an important East-West corridor for traffic travelling between the Iberian peninsular and the Balkans.

The following companies manage the road along its length:

• S.A.T.A.P. - Turin - Milan
• Autostrade per l'Italia - Milan - Brescia
• AutoBSPD - Brescia - Padova
• CAV S.p.A. - Padua - Venice and "Passante di Mestre"
• Autovie Venete - Venice - Trieste

Unlike the other major arterial motorways in Italy, the A4 is not contiguous from one end to the other. The toll system is broken around the northern edge of Milan, the interested section forming a part of the ring-road and is toll-free.

Turin - Milan

Managed by S.A.T.A.P., the entire section is, or will soon be, 3 lanes with hard shoulder in both directions. 100 km of the route is in the Piedmont region, with a further 25 km approx. in Lombardy.

The A4 intersects with the A5 and A26 in this sector.

The 4 km stretch at the end of the route managed by S.A.T.A.P. between the exit for the Western Milan ring-road and Milan-Certosa sees particularly high volumes of traffic. Queues are frequent.

Milan - Brescia

Managed by Autostrade per l'Italia from the Rho-Pero exit onwards, the road passes through some of the most built-up urban conurbations in Italy. The Barriera Milano Est toll plaza is situated south of Monza to the north-east of Milan. The Eastern Milan Ring Road merges with the A4 after this point, and the route continues as far as just before the Brescia Centro exit.

Between the Milano Ghisolfa and Agrate exits the route is referred to as the tratto urbano (Urban Sector), and is not subject to tolls.

The Milan - Brescia stretch sees an average usage of 100,000 vehicles per day, reaching as many as 140,000 on peak days. Around 40% of this traffic is made up from heavy goods vehicles. Thanks in part to improvement works, the number of accidents per 100 million km travelled in this sector fell from 51 to 43.5 between 1999 and 2007.

Brescia - Venice

From km point 217.6 the management of the route is by Autostrada Brescia-Verona-Vicenza-Padova S.p.A., although this change is not instantly noticeable save for a small sign on the side of the road.

The A21 converges on the A4 at the Brescia centro exit, which also originates in Turin, but passes to the south of Milan.

Passing through Lombardy and Veneto, the 170 km stretch is frequently used by traffic heading to and from Lake Garda.

The A22 Brenner motorway to Austria crosses the A4 near Verona and continues on to Vicenza, where the road also crosses the A31.

Finally, near Padua, the A4 meets the A13 Padua-Bologna motorway, after which the management of the road changes hands once again from km point 363.724.

Passante di Mestre

See full article Passante di Mestre (Mestre Bypass)

The Passante di Mestre (Mestre Bypass) is a 32.3km stretch of the A4 which avoids the former urban section which passes through the city of Mestre. The old route has been reclassified as the A57 Mestre Ring Road (tangenziale di Mestre).

Opened on 8 February 2009 and managed by CAV S.p.A., the bypass proceeds in a northerly direction around the city of Mestre and has junctions for Preganziol, Spinea, Martellago-Scorzè as well as intersections for the A27 and A57 motorways.

The opening of the bypass saw the Venice East toll plaza moved closer to the city of Venice (on the A57), along with the Quarto d'Altino exit, in order to provide a continuous barrier-free journey along the new route of the A4.

Venice - Trieste

Managed by Autovie Venete S.p.A., this 120 km stretch is two lanes in each direction with hard shoulder, save for a short section where the road crosses the Tagliamento Bridge.

This sector has junctions for the A28, the A23 towards Austria, and the A34 towards Slovenia.

Between Venice and Redipuglia there is also an average speed camera system installed, known as Tutor, active since February 2011.

In 2008 the volume of heavy goods traffic increased by 16% compared to the previous year, and total traffic volume more than doubled (105%) between 2004 and 2008.

Route Detail

A4 TURIN - TRIESTE
Type	Exit	km (Eastbound)	km (Westbound)	Province	European Route
	Torino C.so Giulio Cesare	0,0	122,9	TO
	Torino Abbadia di Stura Tangenziale Nord Aosta Traforo del Frejus	2,0	120,9	TO
	Area Servizio "Settimo Torinese"	3,0	119,9	TO
	Settimo Torinese	4,0	118,9	TO
	Brandizzo Leinì, Volpiano	10,0	112,9	TO
	Chivasso ovest	14,0	108,9	TO
	Chivasso centro Caluso, Ivrea	16,0	106,9	TO
	Chivasso est	19,0	103,9	TO
	Rondissone	24,0	98,9	TO
	Barriera Rondissone	24,3	98,6	TO
	Area Servizio "San Rocco"	--	--	VC
	Area Servizio "Cigliano"	31,9	--	VC
	Cigliano	32.9	90	VC
	Borgo d'Ale	36,8	86,1	VC
	- Ivrea - Vercelli Aosta Genova	43,8	79,1	VC
	Santhià	45,2	77,7	VC
	Carisio Biella	54,4	68,5	VC
	Balocco	60,0	62,9	VC
	Area Servizio "Villarboit"	64,2	58,7	VC
	Greggio	67,5	55,4	VC
	Genova - Gravellona T.	72,4	50,5	NO
	Biandrate-Vicolungo	73,6	49,3	NO
	Novara Ovest	82,9	40,0	NO
	Area Servizio Bidirezionale "Novara"	88,7	34,2	NO
	Novara Est	90,5	32,4	NO
	Marcallo-Mesero Malpensa	104,5	18,4	MI
	Arluno	110,9	12,0	MI
	Rho	118,4	4,5	MI
	Barriera Milano Ghisolfa	120,8	2,1	MI
	Tangenziale Ovest di Milano Bologna Genova Varese, Sesto C. Como, Chiasso	120,9	2,0	MI
	Area Servizio "Pero"	122,9	0,0	MI
	Pero	n/a	n/a	MI
	Varese Milano V.le Certosa	125,0	516,3	MI
	Cormano Bresso - Milano Niguarda Superstrada Milano-Meda	129,5	511,8	MI
	Area Servizio "Lambro"	133,6	507,7	MI
	Sesto San Giovanni Cinisello Balsamo - Milano V.le Zara	136,1	505,2	MI
	Barriera Milano est	138,0	503,3	MB
	Tangenziale Nord Milano Monza	138,0	503,3	MB
	Tangenziale Est Milano	144,5	496,8	MB
	Agrate Brianza	145,5	495,8	MB
	Area Servizio "Brianza"	148,4	492,9	MB
	Cavenago-Cambiago	149,7	491,6	MB
	Trezzo sull'Adda	156,8	484,5	MI
	Capriate	160,3	481,0	BG
	Area Servizio Bidirezionale "Brembo"	165,7	475,6	BG
	Dalmine	165,4	475,9	BG
	Bergamo Orio al Serio	172,1	469,2	BG
	Seriate	178,7	462,6	BG
	Grumello-Telgate	187,3	454,0	BG
	Ponte Oglio	190,6	450,7	BG
	Palazzolo	192,8	448,5	BS
	Area Servizio Bidirezionale "Sebino"	197,5	443,8	BS
	Rovato	201,0	440,3	BS
	Ospitaletto	206,0	435,3	BS
	Area Servizio "Val Trompia"	213,7	427,6	BS
	Brescia Ovest	214,9	426,4	BS
	Piacenza Brescia Centro	222,3	419,0	BS
	Area Servizio "S. Giacomo"	226,5	414,8	BS
	Brescia Est Brescia-Montichiari	228,8	413,5	BS
	Area Parcheggio "Campagnola"	232,2	409,1	BS
	Desenzano	243,9	397,4	BS
	Area Servizio "Monte Alto"	244,6	396,7	BS
	Sirmione	251,3	390.0	BS
	Peschiera	258.8	382,5	VR
	Castelnuovo del Garda (under construction) Strada Statale 450 di Affi	266.3	375,0	VR
	Area Parcheggio "Val di Sona"	268,4	372.9	VR
	Sommacampagna Verona-Villafranca	270,4	370.9	VR
	Area Servizio "Monte Baldo"	271,7	369.6	VR
	Autostrada A22	275,3	366.0	VR
	Verona Sud	279,8	361.5	VR
	Verona Est	289,7	351.6	VR
	Area Servizio Bidirezionale "Scaligera"	300.7	340,6	VR
	Soave	302,4	338.9	VR
	Montebello	311,4	329.9	VI
	Montecchio	320,6	320.7	VI
	Area Servizio "Villa Morosini ovest"			VI
	Vicenza Ovest	326,6	314.7	VI
	Vicenza Est	334,2	307.1	VI
	Piovene Rocchette	335,6	305.7	VI
	Area Servizio "Tesina est"	336,0	305.3	VI
	Grisignano	343,3	298.0	VI
	Area Servizio Bidirezionale "Limenella"	354,5	286.8	PD
	Padova Ovest Tangenziale di Padova	356.2	285,1	PD
	Padova Est Tangenziale di Padova	363.3	278,0	PD
	Bologna	364,2	277.1	PD
	Area Servizio "Arino"	372.5	268.8	VE
	Tangenziale di Venezia - Mestre (west)	374.6		VE
	Spinea	380.9		VE
	Martellago - Scorzè		open July 2012	VE
	Preganziol	400		TV
	Belluno Venezia-Tessera Tangenziale di Venezia (north)	402		TV
	Tangenziale di Venezia - Quarto d'Altino (east)	407 ● 0,0		VE
	Meolo-Roncade	19.7		VE-TV
	San Donà di Piave-Noventa	28.2		VE
	Area Servizio "Calstorta"	35		VE
	Cessalto	35.8		TV
	Santo Stino di Livenza	42.5		VE
	Conegliano	55.4		VE
	Area Servizio "Fratta"	59.5		VE
	Latisana	68.8		UD
	San Giorgio di Nogaro-Porpetto	86.3		UD
	Area Servizio "Gonars"	90.3		VE
	Tarvisio Villach - Vienna	93.3		UD
	Palmanova	94.9		UD
	Villesse - Gorizia Nova Gorica	105.1		GO
	Redipuglia - Monfalcone Ovest Trieste-Ronchi d.L.	110.1		GO
	Barriera Lisert	118.7		GO
	Monfalcone Est	119.1		GO
	Area Servizio "Duino"	122.6		TS
	Duino	123.3		TS
	Sistiana Trieste - Istria	126.3		TS
	Spur Sistiana - Padriciano Ljubljana		0.0	TS