There is a section of the Abruzzo Apennines that now looks to the future with complete confidence. On the A24 highway, near the Tornimparte interchange, six new viaducts—completely rebuilt and brought up to the most advanced seismic safety standards—have been reopened to traffic, marking another step forward in the major modernization program for the A24 and A25 highways.
The project restores more than four kilometers of full-capacity lanes to users, drastically reducing the length of the lane-switch section between L’Aquila Ovest and Tornimparte. While just a few months ago the areas affected by the work stretched for over four and a half kilometers, today only a section of about 500 meters remains, which is necessary to complete the final work on the Valle Orsara viaduct.
The viaducts are located at an elevation of over 1,000 meters, between Villagrande and Lucoli Alto, in a mountainous setting that is as picturesque as it is challenging. The new structures, built using a combination of Corten steel and concrete, are designed to offer greater strength, durability, and flexibility, in compliance with the latest technical standards and with particular attention paid to their integration into the landscape.
The complexity of the project was managed without interrupting traffic, thanks to a work plan that allowed operations to proceed on one roadway at a time. Only a few particularly delicate tasks—such as the controlled demolition of the old structures and the installation of the new deck sections—required brief nighttime closures. This approach made it possible to combine safety, service continuity, and speed of execution.
With the reopening of these new structures,the number of viaducts that have already been rebuilt and put back into service on the L’Aquila section has risen to 21. This achievement brings us closer to completing the seismic retrofitting of the entire connection between L’Aquila Ovest and Tornimparte, which is set to become the first section of the highway system managed by “strada dei parchi” to be brought almost entirely up to the most modern seismic safety standards.
“Today we are reopening over 4 kilometers of dual-lane highway featuring new, technologically advanced viaducts just in time for the summer travel season, in the year that L’Aquila is the Italian Capital of Culture,” said Costantino Ivoi, CEO of “strada dei parchi.” “For a region that has experienced the consequences of the earthquake firsthand, this milestone takes on a significance that goes beyond engineering: it means investing in people’s safety, in the reliability of transportation links, and in the competitiveness of infrastructure that is essential for the economy and tourism in Central Italy.”
The modernization effort is now continuing along the A25 highway as well, where new work is getting underway on the viaducts identified as priorities by the Special Commissioner for the upgrading and seismic retrofitting of the A24 and A25 highways. “strada dei parchi” and the Toto Group are carrying out this initiative with the goal of making the highway network increasingly safe, modern, and ready to meet the challenges of the future.
