VDP Srl

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Environmental Impact Study (EIS) regarded the third lane widening project of A1 motorway between Fiano Romano and Rome Ring Road (GRA – Grande Raccordo Anulare).
The involved motorway route is located almost entirely in the Tiber valley, an area characterized by outstanding natural and scenic interest.

PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS

A specific transport study was developed in order to analyze the impacts produced by the lane widening on the Roman road network.
The elements of evaluation for the work-environment relation were based on the identification of single or widespread situations causing problems along the project route.

For each component the following key issues were defined:

• Aquatic Environment: Areas subject to flooding - Surface and ground water vulnerability;
• Soil and subsoil: Areas at risk;
• Vegetation, flora and fauna: Riparian system involvement - Interference with vegetion elements;
• Archaeology: Impact assessment on areas of archaeological interest.

In addition, as part of the EIS procedure, the potential environmental impacts caused by the infrastructure enlargement and the proposed interventions for impact mitigation were examined:

• Project optimization: hydraulic features;
• Mitigation interventions and landscape inclusion design;
• Noise Mitigation Plan.

In the context of the final design, a vegetation census was carried out in the involved zones as the widening project concerns areas of permanent and temporary expropriation and/or areas pertaining to the highway expansion.
This census was a useful instrument in processing and planning the vegetation landscaping. In this activity the necessities and the objectives of vegetation preservation were taken into account in accordance with the requests submitted by the interested parties during the Environmental Impact Assessment procedure.