Pedemontana, the last wall in the gallery is torn down

 Yesterday morning, the wall of the gallery in Morazzone was torn down. Just before 1 p.m., inside the gallery, it was opened the passage that definitively joins the two kilometres and 100 metres tunnel in construction. Before the decisive bulldozer’s bump, stressed by a resounding applause, the bishop Monsignor Stucchi had celebrated a Mass and the Regional President Roberto Maroni had given the green light to the operation.

At the construction site, there were all the workers with most of their families, and also a great number of authorities. The gallery was opened on Saint Barbara’s day with a special ceremony that the Pedemontana President defined as exciting. During this ceremony, also a worker, who died, last January, in the works inside the gallery, Costanzo Palmo was remembered. The end of the works at Pedemontana is expected to 30^th June 2014. This operation is worth €916 million. At the moment, the tunnel is divided in three different trunks in progress.

THE THREE CONSTRUCTION SITES

The construction site of today constitutes the orbital road of Varese (first phase). The segment is 4.9 km long, between the motorway junction of Gazzada and Vedano bridge. For Varese it is the most important point and, from now, people can see the construction of the new bridge near B 57 road of Gazzada Schianno. Arriving from B 1 road it is possible to see the construction site which is revolutionizing the road and leads into the two galleries which, from Morazzone, take to Lozza and Vedano Olona. In this segment, a natural gallery, 4 artificial galleries, 3 bridges, 3 overpasses and 5 underpasses are under construction. 42% of the layout is inside a gallery.

The segment A8 – A9 (first phase) is under construction, instead, between Cassano Magnago and Lomazzo and will allow to move by car between the two motorways of Varese and Como. A natural gallery, 6 artificial galleries, 5 viaducts, 7 overpasses and 13 underpasses are under construction. 42% of the layout is in a trench, 32% in relief. 

The orbital road of Como (first phase) is under construction, instead, between Grandate and the county seat of Lario. It is 3 km long, and consists of a natural gallery, 3 artificial galleries, 4 bridges or viaducts, 7 overpasses and 4 underpasses.

This is an endeavor of Cal, Concessioni Autostrade Lombarde, which entrusted the construction, in quality of authority, to Autostrada Pedemontana Lombarda, which gave the contract, in quality of general contractor, to Pedemontana Lombarda Scpa, which is composed of builders ( Salini Impregilo 47%, Astaldi 24%, Pizzarotti 18%, Aci scpa 11%). 6,500 people are employed, 720 businesses are involved and 5,500 machineries are used.