A new overpass has been installed on the A4 Brescia–Padua highway, near the Verona East interchange near Verona. The project is part of the works for the Verona–Bivio Vicenza First Functional Lot, which is included in the National Plan of Recovery and Resilience, known by its Italian acronym PNRR.
These works are necessary to build the artificial railway tunnel of the new HS/HC (high-speed/high-capacity) railway, which will pass beneath the Verona East highway interchange, the A4 highway alignment, and the eastern ring road.
The structure is an arch bridge with a single span of over 60m. The steel deck consists of two parallel arches with variable heights ranging from 1.65-7.8m, while the road platform, 17.4m wide, accommodates two carriageways of 6m each. The new overpass is equipped with advanced seismic isolation systems.
The installation was carried out at night, in just under six hours, to minimise the impact on traffic. The deck, assembled on site, was lifted onto four steel towers and then moved into position using six transporters. The convoy had a total weight of approximately 900tonnes (of which 700tonnes for the deck alone). The motorway was reopened to traffic after all safety checks were completed shortly before 4:00 a.m., two hours ahead of the planned schedule.
The overpass is part of the broader Verona–Bivio Vicenza First Functional Lot, a commissioner-led intervention also funded by PNRR resources, stretching over 44.25km across 13 municipalities between the provinces of Verona and Vicenza. On this section, the IRICAV Due Consortium has completed the civil works, railway track installation, and technological systems necessary to begin testing, inspections, and commissioning, leading to the subsequent activation of the line.
The entire Verona–Padua HS/HC line, 76.5km long, will complete the high-speed rail connection between Milan and Venice. It also belongs to the Mediterranean Corridor of the TEN-T network, contributing to strengthening integration among the main logistical axes of Europe.
