Major works: sustainable highways in Italy

The highway Mantova Cremona will be the new flagship of Italy: demonstrate how environmental sustainability is possible and feasible even in large works. For a long time, as we have wanted to forget, we focused on the purely economic aspects and choices of minimization of the time.

The final design, which must be approved shortly, will create a bubble of efficiency and health in the Po valley, paradoxically, one of the most polluted places in the Italian territory.

Francesco Acerbi, general manager of Center Padane SpA illustrates all the features of the new infrastructure that will be able to minimize the impact to the environment, self-sustaining energy, enhancing the relations and peculiarities of the territory.

"The efficiency of the new highway system will start precisely from its construction site and construction: the construction of every great work, there must be a citadel capable of accommodating several hundred people," says Acerbi. So far, these service facilities are, in most cases, demolished, even though they are equipped with all the basic services: energy, water, waste disposal systems and networks. A first objective will be to materialize then the reuse and revitalization of these areas to make them come in, fully, into the economic and productive land (industrial and residential development).

The peculiarity in this case is that it is not only to build a road but to make the system an idea of infrastructure and development. Every work of road in order to be accepted and shared, it must be able to represent a real integration with the social and economic reality of the territory through. For this reason, the new infrastructure brings with it a set of basic services that will give value to the "territorial system" as a whole. In fact, "during the construction will be drawn optical fiber along the entire route highway in both directions of travel, and will be laid all major networks to structure and promote the development of areas crossed," says Acerbi (networks: water, electricity and sewer, serving agricultural and residential complexes and production). In addition, the motorway route will be served by two side streets (one for each direction) that will allow the maintenance of the services and the roadway without any hindrance or possible danger to the movement of the media and with significantly lower costs than the systems used today (interruption and / or footprint of the roadway).

 

The entire highway will be self-sustaining: the same integration with the territory, the new highway becomes an element of environmental balance and sustainable energy source. In fact, "every available surface (buildings, fences, panels, rest areas, etc ...) will be covered with solar panels of the latest generation." Absolutely innovative and great value will be the construction of two biomass power plant (anaerobic digestion) that will provide 2 megawatts of power. Overall, the alternative energy produced will be about 6 megawatts. The two power plants provide energy to the motorway services and centers of land productivity. The choice of Biomass power plants is not random, but part of that strategy compatibility and functionality, which is the basis of the project of the highway.

Do not forget that passes through the territory with the largest agricultural development at the national level and that agriculture is certainly the primary source of economy and wealth for those populations. Biomass plants become, therefore, an opportunity for synergistic existing agricultural activities and an opportunity to encourage the establishment of new productive activities. (Also attrverso the transfer of heat produced by installations) The management and maintenance of the facilities, in complete and total efficiency and safety, will be from side streets of the service, which will also enable direct and immediate access to any point in the territory.

A motorway without exits: this is also possible and planned for the Cremona Mantua. Think of how much this simplification can lead to circulation and economic activities. With today's technology we can do that and everything can be made through electronic toll collection and RFID technology. Undoubtedly a system of this type will allow a substantial savings for both businesses and therefore, as a result, for each of us. At a time like the present, strong economic difficulty where it is essential to contain costs to free up resources for development, the project Cremona, Mantova motorway is an element of safe value.

A freeway in zero impact and not only the most ambitious project is the "ideal microclimate" or the implementation of parking areas where to focus activities and services not only functional to the highway traffic, but in close connection with the territory and the his economic activities. For this reason it will be created, in these areas, exhibition space for the typical of the area and for its excellence, giving, in envi way, visibility and opportunity for the development of entrepreneurial activities. They will also be points of "tourist organization" through the provision of a range of services that will help to functionalize the tourist demand. Consider, for example, the ability of a tourist, especially foreign, to stop in an area easy to reach, and where they can share with ease, within which it can find every type of service for their needs (areas Dwell controlled, hotel, restaurant, tourist guides, green spaces and sports, rental and servicing electric cars ...).

That this is not a dream it is evident from the time that the director explains. To date, the work on the final draft, which was prepared with the support of Antonio Bruzzi, are ongoing environmental assessments by the relevant committees. The earlier start will be given at the conference service that will evaluate and define the best conditions of feasibility. The first "base camp" for construction activities, is currently under construction and is expected to start work activities for fall 2011.

Acerbi has shown an idea of highway to which we are accustomed to today hardly think a motorway which not only serves to move itself quickly from one point to another of the country, (element, however, of utmost importance for the economy) but which becomes, in its way, an opportunity for new growth and better living conditions.

21/02/2011

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Translated via software

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Source:

Italian version of ReteArchitetti.it

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