First Sections Get Under Way on Ionian Coast Road SS 106 The SS 106 Ionian road is approximately 490 km long, of which 415 km in Calabria (85%), 37 km in Basilicata and 38 km in Puglia. It is altogether a high-capacity road, the single access, along the Ionian hillside, to Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia, a link from town to town, the interconnection between the main and secondary cross-country network and therefore hinterland areas, and an essential road link for coastal development. But infrastructure road performance highly depends on facilities built close to the artery. However, it was decided to requalify the SS 106 to make performance reach such high standards as it can play a dual role of high-capacity route (E90) and major local road link. A new 279 km bypass road is under construction, while 74 kilometres have already high standard road features. The new infrastructure is a dual carriageway road, separated by a central reservation, with two lanes per direction or with one single lane in low traffic areas, though being designed for doubling.The SS 106 is divided in the following road sections: Reggio Calabria (Ch. 9+600)-Palizzi (Ch. 50+000), Palizzi (Ch. 50+000)-Caulonia (Ch. 123+000), Caulonia (Ch 123+000)-Squillace (Ch. 178+350), Squillace (Ch. 178+350)-Simeri Crichi (Ch. 191+550), Simeri Crichi (Ch. 191+550)-Passovecchio (Ch. 250+450), Passovecchio (Ch. 250+450)-Mandatoriccio (Ch. 306+000), Mandatoriccio (Ch. 306+000)-Amendolara (Ch. 390+700), Amendolara (Ch. 390+700)-Calabria-Basilicata border (Ch. 415+180), Basilicata section (from Ch. 415+180 to Ch. 452+215) and Puglia section (from Ch. 452+215 to Ch. 476+000). Visit www.stradeanas.itSeveral schemes are under way or about to get underway. They are described hereafter as per their geographic situation from south (Reggio Calabria) to north (Taranto). Palizzi bypassOn section between Palizzi and Caulonia, the Palizzi bypass includes double-tube tunnels: Palizzi Marina (446 m / 450 m), Ambusena (132 m / 100 m), Peristeri (981 m / 1,009 m), Sant'Antonino (708 m / 729 m), for a total of 4,555 m.Geology consists of paragneiss and biotitic schists of Aspromonte's crystalline bedrock (unit of Stilo), highly tectonized with alteration spreading to the surface in the Palizzi Marina, Ambusena and Peristeri tunnels and Miocene-Pliocene cover, Lower Miocene polychrome clays in the final section of the Peristeri tunnel, and marly-sandy clays of the Serravalliano-Tortoniano area in the entire alignment of the Sant'Antonino tunnel. Geologic investigations were performed by Sea Consulting. Visit www.seaconsult.itThe cross section has an internal radius of 6 m and an invert of 16 m. Condotte, the contractor, has been awarded a EUR84 million contract. They are carrying out executive design and preparatory work has been under way, as Condotte is installing the building sites. Visit www.condotte.itSupport will consist of shotcrete combined with Swellex bolts, or twin steel ribs combined with Super Swellex bolts or forepoling, 130 mm in diameter, with twin NP 180-200 steel ribs every 0.8 to 1.2 m under a 25-35 cm-thick shotcrete layer. Shotcrete will be reinforced with 5 mm-thick 3 cm-long steel fibres, 40 kg/cu cm. Final concrete lining layer will be in the range of 50-80 cm at the crown, 50-100 cm at the walls and 70-120 cm at the invert, under a compressive strength of 300 kg/sq cm. Read E-News Weekly 27/2004. Visit www.swellex.comArdore-Marina di Gioiosa Jonica section (Palizzi-Caulonia)Mega lot DG22 comprises the section from Ardore (San Ilario) to Marina di Gioiosa Jonica or the Palizzi-Caulonia section (former lots 6-7-8 or mega lot 1), in Reggio Calabria province, and Marina di Gioiosa Jonica interchange. Seven double-tube tunnels are being planned for a total distance of approximately 9.5 km. The tunnels are as follows: Epizephyrii (2 x 1,818 m), Zucco (296 m / 313 m), Gerace (553 m / 554 m), Trigoni (840 m / 841 m), Timpa di Pantaleo (328 m / 320 m), Pergola (498 m / 507 m) and Limbia (385 m / 403 m). The excavated cross section is 13.04 m wide and 10.95 m high. The alignment under review runs along an area composed of hill ranges facing east-west on average and coming down towards the Ionian Sea. Click here to view the tectonic stratigraphic diagram of mega lot DG22 (Reggio Calabria side on the left and Taranto side on the right). Also, 2,350 m of false tunnels will be constructed. Click here to see the table of tunnels.Leaving out the Quaternary deposits, starting from the more recent formations to the older ones, it is possible to distinguish two main formations, i.e. the upper part of Monte Narbone and the Trubi foothill. Geological investigations were performed by SEA Consulting. Executive design is under way. Excavation by traditional methods plans one drive per tunnel. The EUR310.3 million contract has been awarded to Astaldi and Nino Ferrari. Work is set to commence this year. Visit www.astaldi.comMarina di Gioiosa Jonica bypassWork is to be carried out on a 3.5 km-long section, including the following twin bored tunnels: Pantalogna (460 m / 461 m), Schiavo 1 (210 m / 170 m) and Schiavo 2 (503 m / 479 m) and the Romano false tunnel (216 m). A EUR76 million contract has been awarded to Via Ingegneria, Cooprogetti and Girpa (designers) and Immobilgi Federici Stirling, DE.MO.TER. and Fondazioni Speciali-Sicos (contractors for civil engineering). The bored tunnels will be driven in clay and marls, using an excavator equipped with hydraulic breaker and ripper. Canopies of steel pipes will previously be drilled around the tunnel contour by forepoling. The tunnel face will be supported by fibre glass nails, steel arches (twin IPN 180) and fibre-reinforced shotcrete. Wire mesh will be installed at the portals. Visit www.immobilgi.com, www.demoter.net, www.fondazioni-speciali.com, www.cooprogetti.it and www.girpa.itRoccella Jonica bypassCompletion of the second lot out of Roccella Jonica suburban area, in Reggio Calabria province, is extending over 4.2 km. The main works on the bypass were reported to be completed in 2001, as work in progress reached 93%. However, as a result of a collapse in the approx. 2 x 400 m Giulia tunnel, an inspection of the bypass was necessary but the successful tenderer refused to endorse the relevant tender agreement.ANAS, the public roads administration, designed the completion project and was responsible for the various tender phases. A EUR7.6 million contract (plus extra expenses) was awarded in February 2005 to a JV of Società Internazionale Gallerie and IGC. Visit www.gallerie.itThere were 30 to 40 metres to be completed on every tube (excavation and lining). The breakthrough on both tubes took place a few days after Easter 2006. The main means used at the work site are a Cat excavator with ripper and a Hitachi shovel. Support is made of bolts, shotcrete and steel arches. To stabilise the face, fibre glass nails and canopies of steel pipes have been installed. An Ellettari drill has been used. Visit www.cat.com, www.ellettari.it and www.hitachi-c-m.comCompletion was scheduled for August 2006. To open the whole structure to traffic (first and second lots), the first lot has to be concluded (surfacing, road signs and barriers) as well as the connection with the Marina di Gioiosa Jonica bypass.Squillace-Simeri Crichi sectionMega lot 2 (DG21) is the section from Squillace interchange to Simeri Crichi interchange, in Catanzaro province, and the extension of road SS 280 "Dei Due Mari" from San Sinato interchange to Germaneto interchange. Click here to view a map. Eleven double-tube tunnels are expected to be constructed for a total of over 13 kilometres. The tunnels are as follows: Piscopio I (671 m / 667 m), Piscopio II (601 m / 569 m), Manche di Castello (353 m / 321 m), Fiasco (521 m / 483 m), Baldaia I (187 m / 190 m), Baldaia II (460 m / 451 m), Girella (387 m / 393 m), Sellara (705 m / 713 m), Santa Maria (1,268 m / 1,313 m), Tiriolello (640 m / 581 m) and Bellino (878 m / 916 m). Excavation section is 13.04 m wide and 10.95 m high. Click here to see the table of tunnels.The whole area where the works being planned will be executed consists of a slightly hilly environment, between 80 and 200 m asl, mainly composed of Plio-Pleistocene soils, predominantly clayey and with sandy and conglomerate features. The substratum is composed of sedimentary formations of an age comprised between Miocene and Pleistocene. Miocene compounds consists of deposits, mainly sands and conglomerates with on top a development of an evaporational sequence. In the Pliocene-Calabrian formations, marine formations have been identified, mainly clayey and/or sandy-clayey, with intercalated sandy and conglomerate layers, sometimes significantly thick. Then follow terraced Pleistocene deposits consisting of sands, gravels and silts of alluvial origin. SEA Consulting was entrusted with geological investigations. The executive design, under way, and the environmental impact study have been entrusted to Technital, 3TI Progetti and Alpina. Work was scheduled to commence by June 2006. A drive in every tunnel is planned, using traditional methods. The contract has been awarded to a JV of Astaldi and Nino Ferrari for EUR480.2 million. For projects regarding mega lots DG21 and DG22, Nino Ferrari is still part of the JV though it has a reduced share with respect to the share it had initially. Visit www.technital-spa.com, www.3tiprogetti.it and www.alpina-spa.itOthers sectionsDraft designs and impact environmental studies are under way for sections Crotone-Mandatoriccio (66 km), Mandatoriccio-Sibari (53 km) and Molito Sant'Ilario (53 km) in Calabria. The Crotone-Mandatoriccio section (or mega lot 9) includes 16 km of tunnel, with lengths ranging from 80 m to 2,920 m, and 8.5 km of viaduct. The estimated cost amounts to EUR2,147 million. Read E-News Weekly 34/2005.Section Mandatoriccio-Sibari (or mega lot 8) includes 19 km of tunnel, with lengths ranging from 90 m to 1,410 m, and 6 km of viaduct. Its cost totals EUR2,573 million.Section Melito Porto Salvo-Sant'Ilario (or mega lot 10) has 39 tunnels, with lengths comprised between 40 m and 1.8 km (21 km of tunnel in all). Cost predictions put the bill at EUR3,211 million. Click it/101. 39/06.