A8 (Italy)

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Autostrada A8

Autostrada dei Laghi
Route information
Part of E35 and E62
Maintained by ANAS
Length43.6 km (27.1 mi)
Existed1924–present
Major junctions
FromMilan
Major intersectionsAutostrada A4 Italia.svg A4 in Milan
Autostrada A50 Italia.svg A50 in Milan
Autostrada A52 Italia.svg A52 in Milan
Autostrada A9 Italia.svg A9 in Lainate
Autostrada A26 Italia.svg A26 in Gallarate
Autostrada A60 Italia.svg A60 in Varese
ToVarese
Location
CountryItaly
RegionsLombardy
Highway system
  • Roads in Italy
← A A7→ A A9

The Autostrada A8 or Autostrada dei Laghi ("Lakes Motorway") is an autostrada (Italian for "motorway") 43.6 kilometers (27.1 mi) long in northern Italy connecting Milan to Varese (on the Lake of Varese) and connecting Milan to Gallarate and Sesto Calende on Lake Maggiore and on Lake Monate (now part of the Gallarate - Gattico connection, also part of the Autostrada dei Laghi).

Autostrada A8 is commonly defined, together with the Autostrada A9, as the "Autostrada dei Laghi". The Autostrada A9 connects to the Autostrada A8 at Lainate, near Milan, and it reaches Como, on the Lake Como, and Chiasso, on the Italy–Switzerland border, where it connects to the Swiss road network. Built in 1924, Autostrada dei Laghi is the first motorway built in the world.[1][2]

On 26 September 2023, the 5th lane in each direction in the Milan-Lainate section was opened to traffic, thus making the A8 the first motorway in Italy with 5 lanes in each direction.[3]

History

Main article: Autostrade of Italy
The King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy inaugurated the Autostrada dei Laghi ("Lakes Motorway"; now parts of the Autostrada A8 and Autostrada A9), the first motorway built in the world,[1][2] on 21 September 1924, aboard the royal Lancia Trikappa.
Historical map of 1926 of the Autostrada dei Laghi

The term "autostrada" was used for the first time in an official document in 1922 in which the engineer Piero Puricelli presented the project for the Autostrada dei Laghi ("Lakes Motorway"); with that term, it indicated those roads characterized by a straight path (as far as possible), without obstacles, characterized by a high achievable speed, passable only by motor vehicles (Italian: autoveicoli, hence the name) aimed at the rapid transport of goods and people.[4]

Italy was the first country in the world to build motorways reserved for fast traffic and for motor vehicles only.[1][2] The Autostrada dei Laghi ("Lakes Motorway"), the first built in the world, connecting Milan to Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, and now parts of the Autostrada A8 and Autostrada A9, was devised by Piero Puricelli and was inaugurated in 1924.[2] Piero Puricelli, a civil engineer and entrepreneur, received the first authorization to build a public-utility fast road in 1921, and completed the construction (one lane in each direction) between 1924 and 1926. Piero Puricelli decided to cover the expenses by introducing a toll.[5]

Toll gate of the Autostrada dei Laghi in Milan in 1924
Autostrada dei Laghi in 1925

It was a futuristic project because there were few cars in circulation in Italy at that time. In 1923 there were a total of 53,000 cars circulating on Italian roads (between 1928 and 1929 there was a significant increase, as they went from 142,000 cars in circulation to 173,000 respectively).[6] In 1927 there were 135,900 cars circulating in Italy, corresponding to one vehicle for every 230 inhabitants, while today the ratio is 1 car for every 1.6 inhabitants.[6] The most motorized Italian regions were those of northern Italy and central Italy, with Lombardy at the top of the list with over 38,700 cars in 1923, while at the bottom of the list was Basilicata with 502 cars.[6] Milan was the Italian city in which the most car licences were issued annually (12,000 in 1928), while the Italian region where the fewest licences were issued was Sardinia, with only 632 new licences.[6]

Route

Autostrada A8 near Milan
Autostrada A8 near Rho
Rest area "Villoresi Ovest"
Autostrada A8 Italia.svg MILAN – VARESE
Autostrada dei Laghi
Exit ↓km↓ ↑km↑ Province European route
Italian traffic signs - autostrada.svg Milan Viale Certosa
Italian traffic signs - strada extraurbana principale.svg Cavalcavia del Ghisallo - Italian traffic signs - icona stadio.svg San Siro Stadium 		-1.0 43.6 MI
AB-Kreuz-grün.svg E 64 Autostrada A4 Italia.svg Torino - Venezia -0.9 43.5
AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Cascina Merlata
Italian traffic signs - strada extraurbana principale.svg Raccordo per A4 Torino e A50		 0.5 42.1
AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Italian traffic signs - icona esposizione-fiera.svg Fieramilano
Autostrada A52 Italia.svg Tangenziale Nord di Milano		 2.0 40.6
Italian traffic signs - stazione.svg Toll gate Milano Nord 5.6 38.0
AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Autostrada A50 Italia.svg Tangenziale Ovest di Milano 6.8 36.8 E 35
E 62
AB-AS-grün.svg Lainate-Arese 7.2 36.4
AB-Tank.svg AB-Rast.svg Rest area "Villoresi Ovest" 7.6 35.0
AB-AS-grün.svg Lainate Italian traffic signs - stazione.svg 8.1 34.5
AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Autostrada A9 Italia.svg Como - Chiasso 10.3 32.3
AB-AS-grün.svg Origgio ovest 14.0 28.4 VA E 62
AB-AS-grün.svg Legnano
 16.3 26.3 MI
AB-AS-grün.svg Castellanza 18.0 24.6 VA
AB-AS-grün.svg Busto Arsizio
Italian traffic signs - strada extraurbana principale.svg Strada Statale 336 Italia.svg Strada statale 336 dell'Aeroporto della Malpensa
Italian traffic signs - icona aeroporto.svg Milan Malpensa Airport		 24.5 18.2
AB-Kreuz-grün.svg A36 Lentate sul Seveso 26.0 15.0
AB-AS-grün.svg Gallarate Italian traffic signs - stazione.svg 29.9 12.7
AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Autostrada A8-A26 Italia.svg Diramazione Gallarate-Gattico 30.9 11.7
Italian traffic signs - stazione.svg Toll gate Gallarate Nord 31.9 11.7
AB-AS-grün.svg Cavaria 33.9 8.7
AB-AS-grün.svg Solbiate Arno 35.7 6.9
AB-AS-grün.svg Castronno 40.1 2.5
AB-Tank.svg AB-Rast.svg Rest area "Brughiera" 40.7 1.9
AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Autostrada A60 Italia.svg Tangenziale di Varese
Gazzada Schianno
Morazzone
Varese est 		41.7 0.9
AB-AS-grün.svg Azzate - Buguggiate

Varese ovest
Strada Provinciale 1 Italia.svg del Chiostro di Voltorre: Italian traffic signs - icona mare fiume lago.svg Lake Varese

42.0 0.6
Italian traffic signs - fine autostrada.svg Italian traffic signs - strada extraurbana principale.svg Strada Statale 707 Italia.svg Raccordo Gazzada-Varese 42.6 0.0

A8/A26 Gallarate-Gattico connection

A8/A26 Gallarate-Gattico connection near Besnate
Autostrada A8-A26 Italia.svg AUTOSTRADA A8/A26
Gallarate - Gattico connection
Exit ↓km↓ ↑km↑ Province European route
AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Autostrada A8 Italia.svg Milano - Varese 0.0 24.0 VA E 62
Italian traffic signs - stazione.svg Toll gate Gallarate Ovest 2.5 21.5
AB-AS-grün.svg Besnate 4.0 20.0
AB-Tank.svg AB-Rast.svg Rest area "Verbano" 6.1 17.9
AB-AS-grün.svg Sesto Calende - Vergiate
Strada Statale 33 Italia.svg del Sempione: Italian traffic signs - icona mare fiume lago.svg Lake Maggiore
Strada Statale 629 Italia.svg del Lago di Monate: Italian traffic signs - icona mare fiume lago.svg Lake Monate		 11.9 12.1
AB-AS-grün.svg Castelletto Ticino
Strada Statale 32 Italia.svg Ticinese
Strada Statale 33 Italia.svg del Sempione: Italian traffic signs - icona mare fiume lago.svg Lake Maggiore 		17.9 6.1 NO
AB-Kreuz-grün.svg Autostrada A26 Italia.svg Gravellona Toce - Genova 24.0 0.0

References

  1. ^ a b c Lenarduzzi, Thea (30 January 2016). "The motorway that built Italy: Piero Puricelli's masterpiece". The Independent. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "The "Milano-Laghi" by Piero Puricelli, the first motorway in the world". Retrieved 10 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Milano Laghi diventa la prima autostrada a 5 corsie (ma solo per 4,4 Km)" (in Italian). Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  4. ^ "Le prime autostrade su Strade ANAS" (in Italian). Retrieved 1 March 2024.
  5. ^ "1924 Mile Posts". Archived from the original on 12 March 2008. Retrieved 3 April 2006.
  6. ^ a b c d "Storia dell'automobile: quando c'era un'auto ogni 230 abitanti" (in Italian). Retrieved 1 March 2024.

See also

Other Italian roads

External links

Media related to A8 (Italy) at Wikimedia Commons

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