Webuild Signs Genoa Undersea Road Tunnel Contract
Autostrade per l’Italia and Webuild on Oct. 15 signed an €803-million contract at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation for the construction of Lot B of the Genoa undersea road tunnel, an ASPI Group project that will reshape mobility and the landscape of the entire port area and the Ligurian capital. The signing follows the awarding of the contract in July, and it took place in the presence of Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation Edoardo Rixi, Deputy Commissioner for the Reconstruction of Genoa Carlo De Simone, Autostrade per l’Italia Chief Executive Officer Arrigo Giana, and Webuild Chief Executive Officer Pietro Salini.
“The signing of the contract for Lot B is a concrete step toward the completion of a strategic project for Genoa. We are turning a vision that we have been waiting for years into infrastructure that is capable of improving urban mobility, strengthening the port’s competitiveness, and giving space back to the city. Genoa needs completed projects, not promises: this is the approach we are taking,” commented Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation Edoardo Rixi.
Deputy Commissioner for the Reconstruction of Genoa Carlo De Simone stated: “The signing of the contract for Lot B marks a decisive step toward a strategic project that will enhance the port’s efficiency and improve the quality of urban mobility. Meanwhile, Lot A is nearing completion, with strategic works already implemented, such as the New Railroad Tunnel, the Lanterna Bypass, the new port road network, and the construction of the Rio San Bartolomeo floodway. This demonstrates that major projects can be carried out in Genova with method, determination, and consideration for the local area. As the Commissioner’s Office, we will ensure the highest level of coordination with Autostrade per l’Italia, Webuild, the City of Genoa, and all other institutions concerned, so that a project that will create new jobs and restore urban spaces and quality of life to the city is carried out on a construction site that is safe, transparent, and respectful of the community.”
Autostrade per l’Italia Chief Executive Officer Arrigo Giana said: “The undersea road tunnel is a project that best reflects the synergy among the various capabilities of our Group: from the engineering and design expertise of Tecne to the execution capabilities of Amplia, which completed all of the Phase 1 activities strictly on schedule and within budget. Delivering a unique infrastructure to the City of Genoa on time – one characterized by both its complexity and landscape vision – has been, and continues to be, a priority for us. We trust that the phase starting today will proceed with the same determination that has driven this project since its inception, serving as a tangible sign of our commitment to the city.”
“We are bringing the best of Italian engineering to Genoa to build the country’s first undersea road tunnel, a project that represents an engineering challenge of the highest order,” said Webuild Chief Executive Officer Pietro Salini. “It is the same excellence we have already put to work for Liguria by helping to build some of the most important projects for the country’s future – projects destined to structurally transform the competitiveness of Italy’s logistics system. From the Genoa-San Giorgio Bridge – born of an extraordinary collective effort – to the New Breakwater, to the Third Giovi Pass–Genoa Junction, and now the Undersea Road Tunnel, we continue to invest in engineering expertise, innovation, and execution capabilities to create infrastructure that generates lasting value for the region and strengthens Genoa’s role as a strategic gateway to Southern Europe.”
The undersea road tunnel is a project unique in the country in terms of its engineering complexity. The infrastructure, designed by Tecne, an engineering firm of the Autostrade per l’Italia Group, features a route approximately 4.2 km long, of which more than 3 km consist of two parallel tunnels, one for each direction. The tunnel, which will connect the western and eastern parts of the city, was conceived as a highly sustainable project in both environmental and social terms, serving to reconnect and revitalize the metropolitan area and restoring six hectares of green space to the city through the new Lanterna Park.
Lot B will involve the construction of the central section of the road, running beneath the port and the urban area. This is the most complex section of the project, making the undersea road tunnel one of the most challenging underground structures ever built in Italy. For the excavation, Webuild will use a TBM with a diameter of approximately 16 m, one of the largest ever used in the country. The project is expected to create over 700 jobs, including both direct and third-party positions.
The signing marks the start of a new phase of construction, building on the work that began in 2024 and was entrusted to Amplia, a construction company within the ASPI Group. As part of the so-called Lot A, in addition to demolition and site preparation work, a 410-m long railway tunnel, the new port road network, and the Fosso San Bartolomeo floodway have also been completed.
