A strada regionale (Italian for regional road; pl. "strade regionali"), abbreviated SR, is a type of Italian road maintained by the regions they traverse. A regional road is less important than a state highway, but more important than a provincial road.
The concept of regional road was introduced for the first time in Italy, limited to the autonomous region of Aosta Valley (where no provincial body exists), with regional law no. 1 of 10 October 1950. [1]
The concept was then extended to a national level by legislative decree nº 285 of 30 April 1992 (New Italian Traffic Law) which defines it as: [2]
Regional road: when it connects the provincial capitals of the same region to each other or with the regional capital or connects the provincial capitals or municipalities with the state network if this is particularly relevant for industrial, commercial, agricultural, tourist and climate.
— Italian Traffic Law
The first roads (excluding Aosta Valley) classified as SR (acronym for strada regionale; "regional road") were created following legislative decree no. 112 of 1998, in 2001. In particular, articles 99 and 101 provided for the transfer of ownership and responsibilities relating to state highways not included in the national road network from the State to the regions, which then regulated the matter autonomously. For organizational reasons, many regions have entrusted the former state highways to the provinces, while maintaining the acronym SR.
In addition to these regional roads created following the downgrading of the state network, there are regional roads immediately classified as such (for example SR 6 in Apulia although subsequently downgraded to provincial) or former provincial regional roads such as SR 89, ex SP 62, in Veneto.
The regional roads can be technically classified as strade extraurbane principali (type B road; "main extra-urban roads") or as strade extraurbane secondarie (type C road; "secondary extra-urban roads"). If they cross inhabited centers with a population greater than 9,999 inhabitants, they are roads under municipal jurisdiction and therefore urban (type D and E). If they pass through centers or inhabited areas with a population of less than 9,999 inhabitants, they are urban (type D and E), but the responsibility remains with the manager.
In addition to the roads identified by the acronym SR, there are roads managed by the region but identified by the acronym SP (for example, many SPs in the province of Belluno are managed by the Veneto Strade company with a 30% stake in the region of the same name).
Regional roads are identified by a number. In road signs and maps the number is preceded by the acronym SR, an acronym for strada regionale ("regional road"). In road signs the alphanumeric acronym is enclosed in a blue rectangle with a white acronym.
Italy has a well developed transport infrastructure. The Italian rail network is extensive, especially in the north, and it includes a high-speed rail network that joins the major cities of Italy from Naples through northern cities such as Milan and Turin. The Florence–Rome high-speed railway was the first high-speed line opened in Europe when more than half of it opened in 1977. Italy has 2,507 people and 12.46 km2 per kilometer of rail track, giving Italy the world's 13th largest rail network. The Italian rail network is operated by state-owned Ferrovie dello Stato, while the rail tracks and infrastructure are managed by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana.
The regions of Italy are the first-level administrative divisions of the Italian Republic, constituting its second NUTS administrative level. There are twenty regions, five of which are autonomous regions with special status. Under the Constitution of Italy, each region is an autonomous entity with defined powers. With the exception of the Aosta Valley and Friuli-Venezia Giulia (2018–2020), each region is divided into a number of provinces.
The provinces of Italy are the second-level administrative divisions of the Italian Republic, on an intermediate level between a municipality and a region. Since 2015, provinces have been classified as "institutional bodies of second level".
A state highway, state road, or state route is usually a road that is either numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a state or province falls below numbered national highways in the hierarchy.
A dual carriageway (BrE) or a divided highway (AmE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are designed to higher standards with controlled access are generally classed as motorways, freeways, etc., rather than dual carriageways.
A routenumber, designation or abbreviation is an identifying numeric designation assigned by a highway authority to a particular stretch of roadway to distinguish it from other routes and, in many cases, also to indicate its classification, general geographical location and/or orientation. The numbers chosen may be used solely for internal administrative purposes; however, in most cases they are also displayed on roadside signage and indicated on maps.
The road hierarchy categorizes roads according to their functions and capacities. While sources differ on the exact nomenclature, the basic hierarchy comprises freeways, arterials, collectors, and local roads. Generally, the functional hierarchy can more or less correspond to the hierarchy of roads by their owner or administrator.
A limited-access road, known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway, expressway, and partial controlled-access highway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway, including limited or no access to adjacent property, some degree of separation of opposing traffic flow, use of grade separated interchanges to some extent, prohibition of slow modes of transport, such as bicycles, horse-drawn vehicles or ridden horses, or self-propelled agricultural machines; and very few or no intersecting cross-streets or level crossings. The degree of isolation from local traffic allowed varies between countries and regions. The precise definition of these terms varies by jurisdiction.
The autostrade are roads forming the Italian national system of motorways. The total length of the system is about 7,016 kilometres (4,360 mi), as of 30 July 2022. To these data are added 13 motorway spur routes, which extend for 355 kilometres (221 mi).
A regional council in Italy is the elected legislative assembly of a region of Italy. In Emilia-Romagna and Sicily, the legislative bodies are called the Legislative Assembly of Emilia-Romagna and the Sicilian Regional Assembly, officially nicknamed as Sicilian Parliament, respectively.
The Polizia Stradale is the national highway patrol of Italy and is a sub-directorate of the Italian State Police.
Anas S.p.A. is an Italian joint-stock company that deals with road infrastructure and manages the network of state roads and motorways of national interest. Founded in 1946 with the name Azienda Nazionale Autonoma delle Strade (ANAS), this acronym became a proper name with the transformation first into a public economic body (1996) and subsequently into a joint-stock company (2002). Since January 2018, it has been part of the Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane corporate group. Legally, the company can be classified as a public law body; furthermore, within the European System of Accounts, it appears among the companies in the consolidated income statement of the Italian state.
The Strade Statali, abbreviated SS, is the Italian national network of state highways. The total length for the network is about 25,000 km (16,000 mi).
A strada provinciale, abbreviated SP, is an Italian road that is maintained by provinces or metropolitan cities. In Veneto from 2002, state highways downgraded as provincial roads are maintained by the regional company Veneto Strade. A provincial road is less important than a regional road, but more important than municipal roads. The types of provincial roads are the same ones of state highways.
A strada comunale, abbreviated SC, is an Italian road that is maintained by comune, hence the name. They can be roads owned by comune or roads managed by the comune. A municipal road is less important than a provincial road.
Roads in Italy are an important mode of transport in Italy. The classification of the roads of Italy is regulated by the Italian traffic code, both from a technical and administrative point of view. The street nomenclature largely reflects the administrative classification. Italy is one of the countries with the most vehicles per capita, with 690 per 1000 people in 2010.
Strada statale 1 Via Aurelia it is one of the most important state highways in Italy and derives from an ancient consular road, the Via Aurelia. It connects Rome with France following the coast of Tyrrhenian Sea and Ligurian Sea and touching nine provincial capitals as well as important tourist locations.
Strada statale 148 Pontina , previously known as Strada regionale 148 Pontina , is a highway that connects Rome to Terracina, passing through Latina and through the localities of Pomezia, Ardea in the Metropolitan City of Rome and for Aprilia, Pontinia and Sabaudia in province of Latina.
Strada statale 48 delle Dolomiti, also known as strada regionale 48 delle Dolomiti is a motorway located in the Italian regions of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Veneto. It is a mountainous road that runs through the Dolomite area from South Tyrol, through Trentino to Cadore, crossing very suggestive mountain scenery.
Strada statale 35 dei Giovi is an Italian state highway, which connects Genoa and the Italian Riviera with Como and the Canton of Ticino, passing through Pavia and Milan. The road begins in Genoa in the Sampierdarena district where it constitutes an important urban crossing artery with the Reti and Fillak streets, and then ends in Como more precisely at the Customs House in Ponte Chiasso on the border with Switzerland. Between Tortona and Casteggio the SS 35 is in common with the strada statale 10, while the Milan-Cermenate section is a Superstrada, built around the 1960s known as Superstrada Milano-Meda.
