In its meeting on the 16th December 2022, the Federal Council approved the general project for the upgrading of the A2 motorway from Lugano to Mendrisio (PoLuMe). The total investment amounts to EUR1.73 bn (CHF1.7 bn) and the Canton Ticino will contribute to further costs of EUR85.32 million (CHF84 million). The project is part of the National Roads Strategic Development Program.
The PoLuMe project therefore aims to adjust the motorway capacity to demand without expanding the road area. This will be possible thanks to the opening of the emergency lane to traffic during peak hours.
In this section of the A2 there are three tunnels without an emergency lane: therefore it will be necessary to build a new tunnel between Bissone and Maroggia, as well as expand the San Salvatore (1728 m, 1728 m) and Gentilino (580 m, 580 m) tunnels. The project also envisages the construction of a junction in Grancia and a junction in Val Mara to facilitate access to the motorway for users, thus relieving the cantonal and municipal roads of the region.
The approval of the general project represents the first stage of the planning process of the work and establishes the fundamental parameters. The latter will now be specified in the executive project which will then be published.
The implementation times depend on the outcome of the successive phases of approval of the plans and on the degree of priority assigned to the project by the Parliament in the framework of National Roads Strategic Development Program. According to current forecasts, the start of the works should be in 2030, and will continue for about 12 years.
Click ch/67 for further information in the tunnelbuilder archive and also visit https://www.admin.ch . 51/22.
