Autostrade of Italy

The autostrade (Italian: [ˌautoˈstraːde]; sg. autostrada [ˌautoˈstraːda]) are roads forming the Italian national system of motorways. The total length of the system is about 7,016 kilometres (4,360 mi), as of 30 July 2022.^[1] To these data are added 13 motorway spur routes, which extend for 355 kilometres (221 mi).^[2]

In particular, 1,870.2 kilometres (1,162.1 mi) of the Italian motorway network have three lanes per carriageway, 129 kilometres (80 mi) km have four lanes per carriageway, 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) have five lanes per carriageway, while the remaining part is two lanes per carriageway.^[3] The density is 22.4 kilometres (13.9 mi) of motorway for every 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi) of Italian territory.^[4]

Italy was the first country in the world to build motorways reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only.^[5][6] The Autostrada dei Laghi ("Lakes Motorway"), the first built in the world, connecting Milan to Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, and now parts of the A8 and A9 motorways, was devised by Piero Puricelli and was inaugurated in 1924.^[6]

In North and Central Italy and in the Southern regions of Campania and Apulia, the Autostrade mainly consist of tollways managed by Autostrade per l'Italia, a holding company controlled by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti.^[7][8] Other operators include ASTM, ATP, and Autostrade Lombarde in the north-west; Autostrada del Brennero, A4 Holding, Concessioni Autostradali Venete [it], and Autovie Venete [it] in the north-east; Strada dei Parchi [it], SALT, SAT, and Autocisa in the center; and CAS in Sicily.

On Italian motorways the toll applies to almost all motorways not managed by Anas. The collection of motorway tolls, from a tariff point of view, is managed mainly in two ways: either through the "closed motorway system" (km actually travelled) or through the "open motorway system" (flat-rate toll).^[9] Given the multiplicity of operators, the toll is only requested when exiting the motorway and not when the motorway operator changes. This system was made possible following Article 14 of Law 531 of 12 August 1982.^[10]