Udine's southern ring road: construction process restarted

WATCH THE VIDEO REPORT . The construction process for the second phase of the Udine Southern Ring Road has officially resumed. This time, the schedule will be fast. The final design will be delivered this fall, allowing for the Services Conference to be held by mid-December of this year.

Following project review and approval, the tender process for the integrated contract (executive design and construction) for the project will be launched in 2026.

The acceleration was made possible thanks to the signing of an agreement between the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and Autostrade Alto Adriatico, which will be responsible for the project activities envisaged in the agreement.

The work and its strategic importance

The 13-kilometer-long artery will complete the Southern Ring Road, currently built from the Udine Sud toll booth on the A23 to Regional Road 56 in Paparotti. The second section (from the Udine Sud toll booth to the Pontebbana State Road 13 in Basagliapenta), the subject of the agreement, will connect State Road 13 with the Gorizia Regional Road 56 via the Southern Ring Road. This will strengthen and improve connections between the Veneto-Pordenone area and the Isonzo area. Most importantly, it will relocate the traffic currently passing through the towns of Basagliapenta, Campoformido, and Pasian di Prato to a route more suitable for long-distance heavy goods vehicles.

The project also includes the construction of four interchanges within just 13 kilometers (with State Road 13 in the municipality of Basiliano; with Regional Road 10, also in the municipality of Basiliano; with Regional Road 89 in the municipality of Campoformido; and with Regional Road 353 in the municipality of Pozzuolo del Friuli) and the completion of the interchange with the Udine West Ring Road. Furthermore, 21 structures will be constructed (three viaducts over interchange roundabouts, three bridges over the Cormor stream, and one viaduct over the A23 motorway, one artificial tunnel, four overpasses for ordinary roads, one agricultural overpass, three underpasses for ordinary roads, four agricultural underpasses, and one bicycle underpass).

Given the complexity of the project, numerous organizations will be involved, and each will have to do their part to achieve the ambitious goal of completing this long-awaited project.

The assignment of the task to Autostrade Alto Adriatico

Autostrade Alto Adriatico, the Region's in-house company, will be responsible for updating the final project (including drafting the expropriation plan for properties and buildings) by incorporating the requirements and requests contained in the national EIA decree approved on March 12 by the Ministry of the Environment in conjunction with the Ministry of Culture and the rules and regulations that came into force after the previous 2012 project was prepared.

Comments from Regional Councilor Cristina Amirante and the President of Autostrade Alto Adriatico, Marco Monaco

Cristina Amirante (FVG Councillor for Infrastructure) : "The construction of the Udine Southern Ring Road is not only a project that has been long-awaited, but it represents a strategic infrastructure for the entire regional road system. It is essential for the productive fabric of Friuli Venezia Giulia, which requires a modern, efficient, and integrated road system capable of supporting the competitiveness of businesses and enhancing the connections between the different areas of our region. For this reason, the regional council has allocated €62 million in budget adjustments and approved by the Fourth Commission. Collaborating with an organization like Autostrade Alto Adriatico means being able to count on a competent and well-established partner, capable of interpreting and concretely implementing the Region's infrastructure priorities. We are talking about a project that responds to the real needs of the region, both in terms of traffic sustainability and support for logistics and freight transport. This ring road will be a key backbone for promoting economic development and reducing the environmental impact of traffic in urban centers. It is a concrete response to the expectations of citizens, Local governments and businesses. The relaunch of the Southern Ring Road project is the result of determined work, based on strategic vision, technical expertise, and governance. Together, we are building the conditions for increasingly modern, safe, and functional regional mobility for the development of the region.

Marco Monaco, President of Autostrade Alto Adriatico : "We are pleased to be able to restart such an important and strategic project for the province of Udine. It's not just about traffic management and the construction of the third lane of the A4: one of our goals is to support the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, our majority shareholder, in the implementation of major projects, convinced that creating new infrastructure can provide development opportunities for businesses and the local area."