ACCESS ROAD TO TRIENT
The new motorway toll station Trient South - The new motorway toll station Trient South is located south of the city of Ravina on the right bank of the river Adige (Etsch) and is connected to the main road network using a new bridge across the river Etsch. This leads to a roundabout, which connects the south of Trento (Trient) with the provincial road network, the bypass to Rovereto and the airport zone (Caproni).
The motorway toll station – consists of 8 lanes: 3 access lanes and 5 exit lanes. Only one toll booth is manned.
The telepass system and automatic toll booths are used for the other lanes.
Next to the motorway toll station, there is a car parking lot with 166 parking spaces, out of which 10 are reserved for challenged persons.
Development of the motorway toll station:
· An overcrossing over the flooding area of the river Etsch, which becomes broader at this point;
· A new bridge over the river Etsch;
· A roundabout in the vicinity of the new motorway toll station;
· Reconstruction of the cycle lanes on the right and left bank of the river Etsch.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Bridge over the river Etsch and the overcrossing over the flooding area
The bridge over the Etsch consists of orthotropic deck lanes made of COR-TEN steel with four tension structures, the central tension structure being held by a longitudinal arch. The outer tension structure is about 17 m. long, the central, suspended tension structure is 81 m. long and the two tension structures over the flooding area are about 35 m. long. The cross-section is composed of two single-lane carriageways and a hard shoulder on each side, separated by a 2.40 m broad medial strip, which contains the suspended structures. At the outer edge (on the right and left side), there is a lane for cyclists and pedestrians with a useful breadth of 2.50 m. The overall cross-section of the bridge is 18.60 m. The cable stays are suspended from a longitudinal arch, the height of which, consistent with the central segment, is 199.40 m, as required by ENAC (Italian Civil Aviation Authority), provided the bridge is located within the obstruction-free zone in the proximity of G. Caproni airport.
The roundabout
The roundabout is classified as a large roundabout with an outer diameter of 59 m. It is located in the vicinity of the main area of the new motorway toll station Trient South and is composed of a 8 m. broad road in a roundabout course (6.50 m. for the carriageway, 1 m. for the outer marginal strip, 0.50 m. for the medial strip) and a mountable 1 m. broad, centre kerb, four access lanes and four exit lanes. The centre island has a diameter of 41 m.
Artistic design - To appreciate the artistic value from the surrounding area of A22, the management company responsible for the Brenner motorway (Brennerautobahn) has argued in favour of artistic designing of its roundabouts, in order to reflect the character of the region through which the highway courses, and thereby make a symbolic connection with this region. To this end, a competition was held in 2010 for the artistic designing of the motorway roundabout Trient South. Twenty artists were invited to participate in the event, and they drafted works especially for this site. Selection was based on the consideration of the most economical suggestion, which was submitted by the artist Stefano Cagol from the region of Trentino, suggesting a work composed of three tower elements, proposed to be positioned on the grassy centre island of the roundabout. Cagol describes his work as follows: “Three coordinated, crystalline, irregular and asymmetric pyramid-shaped elements, which create a veritable sculptural landscape, open for unrestricted and ever changing angle of vision. Due to recurring, interrupted shapes, the three elements represent a synthesis between the three hills after which Trento and the region of Trentino are named.”
The cycle lanes
Apart from the cycle lanes running parallel to the bridge over the Etsch, all the cycle lanes are 3 m. broad. The cycle lanes are conceived such that they form a continuous and uninterrupted stretch for cyclists and pedestrians between the right and the left bank of the Etsch, with connecting paths being added to the main stretches. Special features:
- Cycle lane on the left bank of the Etsch: this is different from the existing traffic lane on the river bank of the Etsch. The lane has been expanded to about 270 m. The essential height differences between the current lane and the planned cycle lane network require the construction of an undercrossing for cyclists and pedestrians, which can also be used by vehicles (access for construction site vehicles). The underpass has a useful cross-section of 5 m. in height and 6 m. in breadth, with 3 m. reserved for the cycle lane, which is located above the paths at road level.
- Cycle lane on the right bank of the Etsch: in respect of area and height, this is different from the existing North-South path which runs parallel to the river. The planned stretch is approx. 171 m. long. At the point where the cycle lane touches the connecting path, an undercrossing has been conceived for cyclists and pedestrians with an overhead clearance of 3.30 m.
- Path that connects the northern right bank of the Etsch with the southern right bank of the Etsch. Both paths are 3 m. broad and approx. 67 and 79 m. long respectively. They are known as “connecting paths”, since they connect the region north and south of the new road with the path on the right bank of the Etsch.
- Path that connects the northern left bank of the Etsch with the southern left bank of the Etsch. The northerly path is approx. 102 m. long, and the southerly path is approx. 104 m. long.
The connecting paths slope slightly upwards, since they have to overcome altitude differences between 4 and 5 m. within a short distance.
Work that is still in the draft phase
The entire project Trient South shall be completed in the forthcoming years with the construction of the construction stages that are still missing. Extensive work has been carried out for the renovation of the road network in the city and in the suburbs of Trient and the Etsch valley in general. These changes include the construction of a new connection in clockwise direction from right to left in the area of the new motorway toll station. The project, which will comprise a motorway overcrossing and a street crossing, promises to have a positive influence on the traffic flow from Trient, which is often held up by vehicles driving in the direction of the city. The new overcrossing will provide improved access to the south of the city, and the toll station Trient South will have at its disposal two main exit lanes: one to the state highway (Italian state highway) 12 and another to the provincial highway (Italian provincial highway) 90.
The new overcrossing is composed of an arch structure made of eight metallic modules, wherein the hollow-space load-bearing arches are cast in concrete, and composed of open beams, which are attached to the platform with fully load-bearing connections, in order to exploit the different properties of steel and concrete. The entire span is 56 m. The platform comprises three fields with spans of 17, 22 and 17 m. respectively. The overall breadth will be 14.30 m., with two pedestrian paths of 1.50 m. breadth each. The distance between the springers is 48 m., whereas the height lies at 5.50 m. The cross-section of the overcrossing is composed of one single carriageway with a 3.50 m. broad traffic lane in each direction and two hard shoulders of 1.25 m. breadth each. The support columns of the overcrossing are composed of reinforced concrete and rest, due to a foundation plate, on a system of diaphragms, which are located 23.50 m. below ground level. Each support column is provided with overall 22 diaphragms, with 1.20 m. thickness, 2.50 m. breadth and 35 m. length respectively. The support beams located on the river bank are connected to the support columns using wooden screws; preferentially few connections and support structures and the use of special solutions in the use of material restrict problems related to durability, which is why usual and extraordinary maintenance work is reduced to a minimum throughout the useful life of the project.