Highways in Italy

Last modified: May 5, 2003

Signs along the Autostrada
Part 1 Part 2

bridge sign

Left: Many bridges have a sign like this one showing the length of the bridge and what it is crossing.
Right: A similar situation exists for tunnels. There were many tunnels on the routes we took. A1/E35 near Florence

Left: This type of sign notes an upcoming exit. I'm not sure what the number on the left refers to, maybe the numbered kilometer where the exit is (Pistoia exit is 6 km away at km 34?).
Right: In addition to the overhead signing, the standard is to paint the exit name on the roadway.

Left: I saw this in a few places, one was in a tunnel. Strobe lights on the curve signs that follow the curve as you go through it. A11/E76 west of Florence
Right: Variable Message Sign. There were many of these in the Florence area, all with the same message: maintain a safe following distance. A1 near A11, Florence

West end of A11, Pisa

Left: Signs at the end of the freeway. A red slash means end (end freeway in this case).
Right: A target is used to indicate the route to the center of town.

Left: This translates to "Road police, electronic control of the speed". Photo radar, perhaps?
Right: Most trucks were like the one shown here with three axles on the trailer. Note the yield triangle and little triangles painted on the roadway.

Left: Yellow lane markings are not used to indicate that traffic on the other side moves in the opposite direction. Instead, it indicates a construction zone. In the construction zone, all lane marking is done in yellow. Elsewhere, lane markings are all in white.
Right: In this part of the construction zone, one lane of southbound traffic was routed on the northbound side of the road, and there was no temporary barrier put up to protect the opposing traffic, just this yellow line and the little reflective cones seen in the picture on the left. Lines on the rest of the roadway on the northbound side were white. A1/E35/E45 near Bologna

Sign announcing a toll station ahead.

Entrance to A1/E35, Florence

Left: Telepass is similar to FasTrak or EZ-Pass. This is also a good shot of the bridge rail common in Italy.
Right: Although this is the entrance to A1/E35, A1 is not shown.

Sunday evening jam at the A1dir toll station southeast of Rome.

Part 2 of Autostrada Signs