Every year, Autostrade per l'Italia and the Italian Traffic Police jointly draw up and implement a complex snow emergency management plan to ensure suitable road conditions on highway stretches as well as motorist safety. The aim is that of:
- encoding the various snow emergency phases, indicating operational coordination and user information measures for each phase.
- taking appropriate action, including the temporary restriction of heavy vehicles, to ensure the best possible conditions and winter service vehicle performance.
In its Snow Plan, Autostrade per l'Italia envisages the involvement and the activation of:
- 9 radio rooms, a National Multimedia Centre and a National Traffic and Emergency Coordination Centre to monitor events and coordinate staff and winter service vehicles;
- 168 snow depots for the service vehicles and/or chloride deposits;
- 1024 snow ploughs;
- 183 salt gritters;
- 236 combination vehicles for spreading chlorides and clearing the snow;
- 149 calcium chlorides sprinklers;
- 156 mechanical shovels for loading the salt;
- 185 vehicles for clearing or removing snow from service areas, parking lots and toll booth areas;
- 26 Unimog vehicles equipped with ploughshares and rotors to remove snow build-ups in emergency lanes
- 61 heavy rescue vehicles to assist vehicles with gross vehicle weight of more than 7.5;
- 9 strategic sodium chloride deposits.
The Traffic Police also contributes to this with:
- 10 operational highway centres;
- 310 motor vehicles;
- 280 patrols per day;
- 1726 operators.
Autostrade per l'Italia and the Traffic Police keep the Prefecture and the competent local authorities continuously updated on all critical issues at every stage of the snow event. This allows the local authorities to take any necessary steps to restrict traffic throughout the area adjacent to the highway or to provide the necessary assistance in the event of blocked traffic.
Traffic and weather information
Information on weather and traffic conditions and, where applicable, and information on alternative routes, is passed on to motorists through the following channels:
- MY WAY – SKY channels 500 and 502 and channel 50 of digital terrestrial TV
- specific messages on variable message panels alerting motorists of road and weather conditions on the highway stretches affected by snow, of the steps taken by Autostrade per l'Italia and the Traffic Police to manage the snow event, and transmitting any type of information;
- RTL 102.5 and Isoradio 103.3 radio stations;
- Onda Verde news broadcast by CCISS Viaggiare Informati on Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio 3;
- Traffic Call Centre on 840.04.21.21;
- CCISS Operations Centre on 1518;
- www.autostrade.it and www.cciss.it websites
Winter Equipments (snow tyres or chains)
Legal requirements and no overtaking for trucks - Dates and Motorways
Autostrade per l'Italia asks motorists and road hauliers to ensure they are adequately equipped for the next winter season.
From November, motorists travelling on highway stretches at greater risk of snow or ice will be required to fit snow tyres or have snow chains on-board, in accordance with orders issued by Autostrade per l'Italia or by the authorities who own the highways (e.g. the State, regions, provinces or municipalities)
Motorists are alerted to the requirement to fit snow tyres or carry chains on-board by road signs that are placed along the highway stretches and entrance toll booths affected by the orders.
It should be borne in mind that suitable equipment translates as safety during bad weather, especially heavy snow.
Motorists not suitably equipped will incur financial penalties of between €80 and a maximum of €318 (art. 6, paragraph 14 of the Italian Highway Code).
The list of the highway stretches in which winter tyres or on-board chains are required between November and April, in accordance with orders issued by Autostrade per l'Italia, is set out below.
| Motorway | Stretch | Dates | |||
| from Km | to Km | direction | from | to | |
| A1 Milano-Napoli | 10+700 | 119+500 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A1 Milano-Napoli | 119+500 | 210+100 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A1 Milano-Napoli | 210+100 | 358+600 | both | 01-nov | 15-apr |
| A1 Milano-Napoli Direttissima | 0+000 | 32+966 | both | 01-nov | 15-apr |
| A4 Milano-Brescia | 172+500 | 217+700 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A7 Genova-Serravalle | 84+500 | 125+778 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A8 Milano-Varese | 8+100 | 42+600 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A9 Lainate-Como-Chiasso | 10+700 | 42+314 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| Raccordo A8-A26 Diramazione Gallarate-Gattico - D08 | 0+000 | 23+221 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A13 Bologna-Padova | 0+000 | 116+735 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A14 Bologna-Taranto | 0+000 | 144+247 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A14 Bologna-Taranto | 144+247 | 507+000 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| Diramazione per Ravenna | 0+000 | 29+800 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| Diramazione Padova Sud | 0+000 | 4+338 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| Diramazione Ferrara Sud | 0+000 | 6+270 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| Raccordo di Casalecchio | 0+000 | 5+440 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| Ramo d'adduzione Sasso Marconi | 0+000 | 2+700 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| Tangenziale di Bologna | 0+000 | 22+231 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A16 Napoli-Canosa | 26+570 | 127+627 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A23 Palmanova-Tarvisio | 18+549 | 119+925 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A26 Genova Voltri-Gravellona Toce | 0+000 | 197+200 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| Raccordo A26-A4 Diramazione Stroppiana-Santhià - D36 | 0+000 | 30+734 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| Raccordo A26-A7 Diramazione Predosa-Bettole - D26 | 0+000 | 17+030 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A27 Venezia-Belluno | 0+000 | 82+454 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| Interconnessione A27 Bretella Marco Polo - A57 | both | 15-nov | 15-apr | ||
| Raccordo R64 A27-Conegliano | both | 15-nov | 15-apr | ||
A list of the highway stretches in which vehicles with gross vehicle weight of more than 7.5 t are prohibited from overtaking, in accordance with orders issued by Autostrade per l'Italia, is set of below.
| Motorway | stretch | dates | |||
| from km | to km | direction | from | to | |
| A1 Milano - Napoli | 210+100 | 417+600 | both | in case of snow | |
| A1 Milano - Napoli | 417+600 | 633+300 | both | in case of snow from 15 nov to 15 apr | |
| A1 Milano - Napoli | 633+300 | 734+000 | both | in case of snow | |
| A1 Milano - Napoli Variante di Valico | 0+000 | 32+966 | both | in case of snow | |
| D18 Diramazione Roma nord | 0+000 | 23+100 | both | in case of snow from 15 nov to 15 apr | |
| D19 Diramazione Roma sud | 0+000 | 20+000 | both | in case of snow from 15 nov to 15 apr | |
| A7 Genova-Serravalle | 125+778 | 84+500 | both | in case of snow | |
| A11 Firenze - Pisa Nord | 0+000 | 81+100 | both | in case of snow | |
| A13 Bologna-Padova* | 24+000 | 27+500 | Padova | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A13 Bologna-Padova* | 29+000 | 25+500 | Bologna | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A13 Bologna-Padova* | 69+500 | 73+000 | Padova | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A13 Bologna-Padova* | 74+500 | 71+050 | Bologna | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A13 Bologna-Padova* | 102+200 | 99+940 | Bologna | 15-nov | 15-apr |
| A14 Bologna-Taranto | 144+200 | 743+402 | both | in case of snow | |
| A16 Napoli-Canosa | 27+000 | 172+470 | both | in case of snow | |
| D94 allacciamento Tang. Bari | entire stretch | both | in case of snow | ||
| A16 Napoli-Canosa | 26+000 | 127+600 | both | in case of snow from 15 nov to 15 apr | |
| A26 Genova-Gravellona Toce | 0+000 | 59+665 | both | in case of snow | |
| Raccordo A26-A7 Diramazione Predosa-Bettole - D26 | 0+000 | 17+030 | both | in case of snow | |
| A30 Caserta-Salerno | 0+000 | 55+300 | both | in case of snow | |
| * on viaducts indicated within the ordinance | |||||
New variable message panels
Specific messages are immediately and continuously transmitted on variable message panels to alert motorists, throughout their journey, as to weather and road conditions on highway stretches affected by snow.
 | High impact weather alert emitted With road salting activities |   |
 | Facilities and equipment ready to operate before snowfall has started With road salting activities |  |
 | No heavy or critical snow, with no effects on traffic Snowing but not at critical levels, except for some stretches. Traffic increasing or tending to increase |   |
 | Heavy snow with maximum snow management operations activated. First vehicles blocking the road |  |
 | First vehicles blocking the road because of skidding or loss of control. Vehicles sideways across the road and possible delays in removing them. |   |
