Autostrada A18 (Italy)
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|---|---|
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| Route information | |
| Maintained by ANAS | |
| Section 1 | |
| Length | 77 km (48 mi) |
| North end | Messina |
| South end | Catania |
| Section 2 | |
| Length | 59.1 km (36.7 mi) |
| North end | Syracuse |
| South end | Modica |
| Location | |
| Country | Italy |
| Regions | Sicily |
| Highway system | |
The Autostrada A18 is is an autostrada (Italian for "motorway") 77 kilometres (48 mi) long on the Ionian coast of Sicily that links Messina to Catania. The motorway is linked to the A20 Messina-Palermo at its northern-end and to the A19 Palermo-Catania through the RA15 Catania's Ring Road at its southern-end. There is also a second stretch of the Autostrada A18, of 59.1 kilometres (36.7 mi), on the south part of the island, running from Syracuse to Rosolini, recently extended to Ispica/Pozzallo and Modica, and with the plan to extend it to Gela.
From the beginning it was in fact planned planned to unite the two sections into a single motorway, from Messina to Gela, which would make it possible to optimize connections with the tourist areas and those in the eastern area of Sicily at the time undergoing industrialisation. The two sections of the Autostrada A18 are connected to each other, without interruption, through the Catania's Ring Road (from Catania Nord to the Passo Martino district), the Autostrada Catania-Siracusa (from the Passo Martino district to Augusta-Villasmundo) and the strada statale 114 Orientale Sicula (from Augusta-Villasmundo to Syracuse).
Messina – Catania[edit]
| MESSINA – CATANIA
| |||||
| Exit | ↓km↓ | ↑km↑ | Province | European route | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  Messina-Palermo |
0.0 | 77.0 | ME | 
| |
 Messina Sud – Tremestieri |
1.4 | 75.6 | ME |
| |
 Toll barrier Messina Sud |
1.6 | 75.4 | ME |
| |
| Roccalumera |
21,3 | 54,3 | ME |
| |
 Service station "Barracca" |
25.6 | 50.0 | ME |
| |
| Taormina |
35.2 | 40.4 | ME |
| |
| Giardini Naxos |
41.0 | 34.6 | ME |
| |
| Service station "Calatabiano" |
42.2 | 33.4 | CT |
| |
| Fiumefreddo |
47.4 | 28.2 | CT |
| |
| Giarre |
58.7 | 16.9 | CT |
| |
| Acireale |
68.9 | 6.7 | CT |
| |
| Service station "Aci Sant'Antonio" |
71.3 | 4.3 | CT |
| |
| Toll barrier Catania Nord |
75.6 | 0.7 | CT |
| |
| Paesi etnei |
76.7 | 0.3 | CT |
| |
  Catania Centre – San Gregorio Catania's Ring Road |
77.0 | 0.0 | CT |
| |
A18dir Diramazione Catania Nord[edit]
 A18 DIRAMAZIONE CATANIA NORDA1 Northern Catania connection | |||||
| Exit | ↓km↓ | ↑km↑ | Province | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| to Messina RA15 – Catania's Bypass |
0.0 | 3.7 | CT | ||
| San Gregorio |
0.1 | 3.6 | CT | ||
| Canalicchio |
2.0 | 1.7 | CT | ||
 Catania Centro |
3.7 | 0.0 | CT | ||
Siracusa – Ragusa – Gela[edit]
A first part of only 9,5 km from Syracuse to Cassibile opened 15 June 1983. After this, one had to wait for over 20 years until in March 2008 a second stretch from Cassibile to Noto went into service. The latest part, from Noto to Rosolini, opened to traffic in October 2008. An other part was opened in August 2021 from Rosolini to Ispica
Siracusa – Ispica[edit]
| SIRACUSA – MODICA
| |||||
| Exit | ↓km↓ | ↑km↑ | Province | European route | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Siracusa Orientale Sicula |
0 | 40,0 | SR |
| |
| Canicattini Bagni |
0,1 | SR |
| ||
| Cassibile |
9,5 | SR |
| ||
| Avola |
16,7 | SR |
| ||
| Noto |
26,6 | SR |
| ||
  Service station 'Tellaro' (work in progress) |
38,8 | SR |
| ||
Rosolini Sud Occidentale Sicula |
40,0 | 0 | SR |
| |
 Ispica Sud Occidentale Sicula |
50,0 | 0 | SR |
| |
Ispica – Ragusa[edit]
This part of the A18 was designed in the early 1970s and required re-planning because the original project would have run through archeological areas and natural reserves (created in the 1980s and 1990s). The new project was completed in 2001 and is partially financed. Works started in 2014 taking the motorway from Rosolini to Ispica/Pozzallo, with the subsequent stretch to Modica at an advanced stage. The part from Rosolini to Ispica/Pozzallo was opened in August 2021. The next part to Modica was opened in December 2023. Authorities are awaiting for further funding for the completion of this second part of the A18 that should run to Scicli and Ragusa.
Planned Exits (km from Syracuse):
|
Modica | 61 | |
|
Scicli | 71 | |
|
Area servizio 'Irminio' | 81 | |
|
Ragusa Marina di Ragusa .svg){kind=small} |
85 | 0 |
Ragusa – Gela[edit]
The original plan of the A18 would have connected Ragusa to Gela. This part of the project is in advanced state of re-planning but has not got any funding yet.
Planned Exits:
See also[edit]
Other Italian roads[edit]
External links[edit]
Media related to Autostrada A16 (Italy) at Wikimedia Commons
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