Autostrada A15 (Italy)

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Template other[[Category:Infobox road instances Template:Infobox road/meta/mask/category]] The Autostrada A15 or Autostrada della Cisa ("Cisa motorway") is an autostrada (Italian for "motorway") long in Italy located in the regions of Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Liguria connecting Parma and La Spezia through the valleys of the Taro and Magra rivers. It is a part of the E33 European route.

The road is also known as Autostrada della Cisa because it crosses the Northern Apennines at the Cisa Pass. The main 101-km expanse of the motorway connects the Autostrada A1 with the Autostrada A12, thus directly linking the Po Valley with the Italian Riviera and the Versilia region. The Autostrada A15 is operated by the company Template:Ill.

At the 9-km mark, drivers are welcomed by a curious monument, a tuft of steel and cement sculpted by Luigi Magnani and placed in the traffic island between the two carriageways. The monument is visible to motorists coming from the A1.

History

The first phase of this motorway, dating to the 1950s, was designed to provide an alternative route between the Po Valley and the coastal Tyrrhenian Sea. The construction required several viaducts and tunnels to attain the maximum altitude of 745 metres above sea level at the entrance of the tunnel crossing. Built as a dual carriageway (divided highway), it is very curvilinear and challenging to drive and, therefore, has long been used for testing new heavy duty vehicles.

Except for short stretches of the highway, the road surface is not porous or fitted with storm drains, making it difficult to negotiate during heavy rain.

Route

File:Monumento A15.JPG

Autostrada A15 near Parma, with the steel monument in the shape of a "tuft" placed in the large traffic island between the two carriageways.

File:Autocamionabile Cisa.JPG

Autostrada A15 near Berceto

The motorway begins from the A1, near Parma. From the Parma Ovest (West Parma) exit the highway climbs through the Taro Valley with exits to Fornovo di Taro, Borgotaro and the village of Berceto, all within the Emilia-Romagna region. After traversing the tunnel, the highway continues into Tuscany, with exits to Pontremoli and Aulla. Shortly after entering Liguria it intersects the A12 at Santo Stefano di Magra, a few kilometres from La Spezia.

There are five service stations and rest areas along the way.

Template:Symbol PARMA – LA SPEZIA Autostrada della Cisa
Exit	↓km↓	↑km↑	Province	European route
File:Italian traffic signs - autostrada.svg Template:Symbol File:Autostrada A1 Italia.svg Milano - Roma			PR
File:AB-AS-grün.svg Parma ovest			PR
File:AB-Tank.svgFile:AB-Rast.svg Rest area "Medesano"			PR
File:AB-AS-grün.svg Fornovo di Taro			PR
File:AB-AS-grün.svg Borgotaro			PR
File:AB-AS-grün.svg Berceto			PR
File:AB-Tank.svgFile:AB-Rast.svg Rest area "Tugo"			PR
File:AB-Tank.svgFile:AB-Rast.svg Rest area "Montaio"Template:Efn		--	MS
File:AB-AS-grün.svg Pontremoli			MS
File:AB-Tank.svgFile:AB-Rast.svg Rest area "San Benedetto"			MS
File:AB-AS-grün.svg Aulla			MS
File:AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Template:Symbol File:Autostrada A12 Italia.svg Genova - Rosignano M.			MS
File:Italian traffic signs - stazione.svg Toll gate La Spezia			SP
File:AB-AS-grün.svg Diramazione per Santo Stefano di Magra			SP
File:AB-AS-grün.svg Vezzano LigureTemplate:Efn			SP
File:AB-Tank.svgFile:AB-Rast.svg Rest area "Melara"Template:Efn	--		SP
File:AB-AS-grün.svg Melara - PianazzeTemplate:Efn Template:Symbol Industrial area	--		SP
File:AB-AS-grün.svg La Spezia Porto Template:Symbol Template:Symbol Port of La Spezia Template:Symbol Raccordo per Lerici			SP
Template:Symbol Template:Symbol La Spezia Via Carducci Template:Symbol Town center Template:Symbol Boarding cruises Template:Symbol Ferries to Palmaria, Porto Venere, Cinque Terre, Italian Riviera and Versilia Template:Symbol Porto Venere Template:Symbol Template:Symbol Cinque Terre National Park			SP

Santo Stefano di Magra connection

Template:Symbol DIRAMAZIONE PER SANTO STEFANO DI MAGRA Santo Stefano di Magra connection
Exit	↓km↓	↑km↑	Province
Template:Symbol Santo Stefano di Magra			SP
File:Italian traffic signs - autostrada.svg File:AB-AS-grün.svg Template:Symbol Industrial area
File:AB-AS-grün.svg Area Retroportuale Template:Symbol Template:Symbol Port of La Spezia
File:AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Template:Symbol File:Autostrada A15 Italia.svg Parma - La Spezia

Lerici connection

Template:Symbol RACCORDO PER LERICI Lerici connection
Exit	↓km↓	↑km↑	Province
Template:Symbol Template:Symbol File:Autostrada A15 Italia.svg Parma - La Spezia			SP
File:AB-AS-grün.svg Porto Est Template:Symbol Template:Symbol Port of La Spezia Template:Symbol Industrial area
Template:Symbol Template:Symbol di Lerici Template:Symbol Romito Magra

Proposed construction

A plan to extend the motorway route to the north through Fontevivo, Martignana di Po and Nogarole Rocca, linking to the A22 (the Autobrennero) around Verona, has been proposed. Land has been secured both for straightening the present route through the construction of new viaducts and tunnels and for the proposed extension. The town of Villafranca in Lunigiana and neighbouring municipalities have petitioned for opening such a new toll motorway. Negotiations have begun with private motorway companies and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.

See also

• Autostrade of Italy
• Roads in Italy
• Transport in Italy

Other Italian roads

• State highways (Italy)
• Regional road (Italy)
• Provincial road (Italy)
• Municipal road (Italy)

External links

• Autocisa S.p.A.
• Autostrade maps