A4 Holding has activated, in the period between mid-November and next March 2024 on the 236 km of the A4 Brescia - Padova and the A31 Valdastico and on the ring roads and external junctions under its jurisdiction, the 2023 Winter Emergency Management Plan, structured to cope with the safety needs that may arise due to both the drop in temperatures and the onset of harsh weather, and the increase in transit volumes, particularly during the weekend of 8 December and during the Christmas holidays.
The organizational machine of the motorway concessionaire has thus developed and planned an expansion of services on the network under its jurisdiction, also in consideration of the traffic trend data on the two sections, which in the first nine months of 2023 recorded (compared to the values for the same period in 2022) a further increase in average daily traffic, which overall rises by 3.7%, mainly due to the growth in the number of light vehicles in transit (+4.8%), compared to a drop recorded in heavy vehicles (-1.1%).
After the operational meeting between managers and technicians of A4 Holding and A4 Brescia Verona Vicenza Padova together with the heads of the Brescia, Verona, Vicenza, Padova and Rovigo traffic police, to share the lines of intervention and control outlined in the 2023 plan, an organic programme of interventions was ratified, prepared with a very high level of technical professionalism and aimed at anticipating, if not solving, possible inconveniences due to temperatures, ice and snowfall, and thus guaranteeing the regular fluidity and safety of road traffic on the entire section under their jurisdiction, with particular attention to the northern part of the A31 Valdastico, precisely due to the arrival of the period of greater access to the toll booths in the direction of the ski resorts.
In detail, a fleet of 330 winter vehicles and equipment is planned, located in 14 Winter Service Centres, located at various points within the motorway network and employing an average of more than 565 employees (including 450 external staff), including drivers, operators and staff dedicated to the service and parking areas.
All of this is supported by the COV (Traffic Operations Centre), the heart of the management of the motorway network in the area of competence and located in the Verona headquarters of A4 Holding, and by the 78 auxiliary traffic officers.
To support the prevention and management activities of the COV and for better information and assistance to travellers, 115 variable message panels and 254 video cameras are located on the routes, as well as 242 SOS columns, placed every two kilometres along the motorway.
The 2023 Plan prepares and programs all preventive measures to avoid the formation of ice and heavy accumulations of snow on the ground, with particular attention to the areas most exposed to the risk of snowfall, which historically are those between Brescia Centro and Sirmione, between Montecchio and Vicenza Est and on the entire A31 Valdastico.
In this regard, on the A4 Brescia-Padova and the A31 Valdastico it is important to remember that it is already mandatory - from 15 November 2023 until 15 April 2024 - the use of winter tires (or alternatively four-season tires) or chains on board vehicle.
A4 Holding has also completed in recent weeks the redevelopment and improvement of some stretches of pavement on the A4 and A31 and on the ring roads under management for a total of 46.3 km, precisely to ensure greater safety and comfort for travellers, in anticipation of possible risk situations related to precipitation and winter temperatures.
On the relevant routes, 14 service areas and 6 rest areas are always active. There are 6 charging stations for electric cars (Monte Baldo Ovest, Monte Baldo Est, Scaligera Ovest, Tesina Est, Limenella Ovest and the Truck Park Brescia Est), for a total of 13 charging points, and a brand new CNG station for light vehicles and LNG for heavy vehicles (Limenella Est).
In order to anticipate all customer needs, A4 Holding has always been equipped not only with weather bulletins based on forecast and warning data, but also with several weather stations, located along the A4 and the A31 on average every 10 km, which provide measured data such as precipitation intensity in mm and visibility status expressed in metres.
For the dissemination of all news useful to travellers during this period, A4 Holding will use the CCISS channel as a priority, in addition to regional and local radio stations, its Infoviaggiando app and the social media Telegram which, through the new Chatbot active since July this year, allows travellers to better organise their trip, access the webcams located along the two motorways, as well as consult the services offered by the service areas, get updates on traffic and weather conditions and which also reminds them which numbers to contact in case of emergency.
