Traffic disruptions

Traffic events are identified using terminology adopted nationally that groups together recurring situations which may generate disruptions and/or hazardous conditions:

FLOODING
Indicates flooding or water pooling on the roadway affecting drivability.

ANIMALS ON THE ROAD
Indicates the presence of one or more animals (alive or dead) on the motorway carriageway.

SERVICE AREA CLOSED
Indicates closure to vehicles and people, as well as prohibition of transit and parking in the designated area.

SERVICE AREA OVERCROWDED
Indicates overcrowding of vehicles within the service area; potential delays in accessing refuelling or services may be reported.

LOST LOAD
Presence of debris on the carriageway due to load lost by a passing vehicle: the fallen material, generally consisting of single objects, may be hazardous or harmful to health.

GOODS VEHICLES BAN
Prohibition of transit on a section of road/motorway for vehicles transporting goods (e.g., due to customs closure).

HEAVY VEHICLES BAN
Prohibition of transit on a section of road/motorway for vehicles exceeding the permitted weight thresholds (e.g., 3.5 t or 7.5 t).

QUEUE
Accumulation of vehicles along a stretch of road/motorway, a branch of an interchange or a toll station/junction. Vehicles are mostly stationary and move in “intervals”, with “stop” phases longer than the “go” phases. Lane changes are nearly impossible and merging into traffic is very difficult. If the situation persists, traffic-management measures may be implemented to facilitate the outflow of queued vehicles and prevent the queue from extending further.

In the case of long queues, users are advised to follow an alternative route (either motorway or ordinary road) recommended to bypass the critical section of the route.

INTERMITTENT QUEUES
Presence along a road or motorway section of more than 5 km in length of multiple queues, separated by stretches where traffic is moving. These intermittent queues may also affect an extended motorway section, which can include multiple junctions and/or toll stations.

SOS CALL BOXES INACTIVE
Indicates non-functioning SOS call boxes along the affected section.

WINTER TYRE OR CHAIN CHECK
Indicates checks carried out by the Operator/Concessionaire and Police to verify the presence of winter equipment on vehicles during snowfall on the affected section.

SPEED CHECK
Encourages drivers to reduce speed by alerting them to the presence of speed control systems, in order to prevent sudden braking upon sight.

TEMPORARY STOP FOR HEAVY VEHICLES
The temporary stoppage of vehicles with a maximum authorised mass exceeding 7.5 tonnes is ordered by the Motorway Operator/Concessionaire, in agreement with the Traffic Police, in the event of heavy snowfall along the road/motorway network, in accordance with specific operational protocols (agreed between the Operator/Concessionaire, the Traffic Police, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and Road Haulage Associations).

The manoeuvre, carried out in consecutive phases, is characterised by:

• separation of heavy vehicles from light vehicles;
• temporary holding of heavy vehicles along the carriageway on motorway sections specifically and previously equipped for this purpose, or within designated holding areas located inside or outside the motorway premises, with dedicated signage designed to enable the formation of the heavy-vehicle queue and its separation from light vehicles;
• phased decongestion of the motorway section where heavy vehicles have been accumulated.

The plan is also activated — always in accordance with the procedures set out in the relevant operational protocols — in the event of non-ordinary situations (for example, a truck drivers’ strike) that require targeted management of freight traffic.

UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE
Indicates that the passable road surface is damaged or lacks horizontal road markings that signal its temporary irregularity.

LANDSLIDE
Indicates a landslide that has invaded or may invade the roadway.

SMOKE
Indicates the presence of smoke encroaching onto the road/motorway, potentially reducing driver visibility.

ICE FORMING
Possible formation of ice on the pavement.

MAJOR EVENTS
Indicates the occurrence of an event that is affecting the surrounding traffic conditions (e.g., trade fair, state visit, etc.).

HAIL
An intense hailstorm is in progress. It indicates the presence of the event by providing information on the reduction in visibility, expressed in metres. In particular, it reports the reduction of the speed limit to 110 km/h on the motorway and to 90 km/h on major non-urban roads, so that speed may be adjusted to the condition of the roadway.

FIRE
Presence of a fire near the roadway. This may be caused by burning vegetation along the carriageway or in the central reservation, or by other factors (e.g., a vehicle on fire).

ACCIDENT
Presence on the roadway of stationary vehicles or of people and rescue personnel due to an accident involving at least one vehicle that has left the carriageway and/or collided with another vehicle, person, structure or obstacle.

ROADWORKS
Indicates the presence of roadworks occupying part of the roadway and/or its related areas for activities that cannot be carried out without restricting traffic along the affected section. The lanes involved or those available for transit are specified, along with additional details such as the type of work and its duration. Additional information may be included, such as “long-term”, “bridge demolition”, “maintenance”, “road markings”, “clearing”, “in tunnel”, or “on the hard shoulder”.

STRUCTURAL DAMAGE
The damaged structure is reported (overpass pier, tunnel vault, etc.) along with any related disruption to traffic.

DEMONSTRATION
Indicates the presence of people occupying the roadway as part of a demonstration (e.g. strike, march, etc.).

DEBRIS ON ROADWAY
Presence of material on the carriageway due to accidental detachment of debris or illegal dumping: the dispersed material, which generally affects a large section of the roadway, may be hazardous or harmful to health.

FOG
Presence of fog banks with reduced visibility expressed in metres.

PATCHY FOG
Patches of fog with reduced visibility expressed in metres.

SLEET
SNOW
HEAVY SNOWFALL
A snowfall of varying intensity is occurring; the road surface may remain unchanged or become whitened/covered with snow.

RAIN
A precipitation event is in progress. The presence of the event is indicated, and in particular the speed reduction is reported: 110 km/h on the motorway (where higher limits apply) and 90 km/h on major non-urban roads, so that speed may be adjusted to the condition of the roadway.

FREEZING RAIN
A freezing rain event is in progress. The presence of the event is indicated, along with a warning about the possible formation of ice. This phenomenon is highly dangerous because it eliminates visibility by depositing ice on the windscreen.

HEAVY RAIN
An intense precipitation event is in progress. The presence of the event is indicated by providing information on the reduction in visibility, expressed in metres. In particular, the speed reduction is reported: 110 km/h on the motorway and 90 km/h on major non-urban roads, so that speed may be adjusted to the condition of the roadway.

SERVICE AREA ISSUES
Indicates a type of service unavailable within a service area (e.g., out-of-order restrooms, fuel shortages, etc.).

TRAFFIC CONTROL WITH POSSIBLE DIVERSION TO ALTERNATIVE ROUTE
Indicates a local traffic-management measure ordered by the Motorway Operator/Concessionaire, in agreement with the Traffic Police, based on shared operational plans. In the event of traffic congestion near or through roadworks, traffic volumes exceeding the road/motorway capacity, or during ongoing snowfall, this measure provides for the dynamic regulation of traffic flows, with temporary diversion of vehicles onto alternative routes alternating with normal flow on the carriageway, until road or weather conditions and pavement conditions improve.

Depending on the event scenario and its evolution, the Operator/Concessionaire and the Traffic Police assess whether to activate the temporary stoppage of vehicles on the carriageway, on the hard shoulder, or in pre-identified rest or holding areas, and the closure of access points (junctions, toll stations, etc.) until the emergency phase has passed or weather and trafficability conditions have improved.

TRAFFIC CONTROL WITH LANE REDUCTION
Traffic-management measure involving a reduction of the carriageway, implemented by the Motorway Operator/Concessionaire through the installation of appropriate signage, in order to channel and regulate traffic approaching the area affected by the disruption (ongoing snowfall or other events), thereby improving traffic flow within it.

ALTERNATING ONE-WAY TRAFFIC
Indicates alternating one-way traffic flow: vehicles pass first in one direction, then in the other.

WET AND ICY ROAD
Wet road surface with ice formation.

THUNDERSTORMS
An intense thunderstorm is in progress. The presence of the event is indicated by providing information on the reduction in visibility, expressed in metres. In particular, the speed reduction is reported: 110 km/h on the motorway and 90 km/h on major non-urban roads, so that speed may be adjusted to the condition of the roadway.

BLOCKED TRAFFIC
A line of stationary vehicles along a stretch of motorway, a branch of an interchange or a toll station/junction. The roadway is completely obstructed (blockage) and vehicle transit is temporarily impossible. If the situation persists, traffic-management measures may be implemented to allow queued vehicles to be cleared (U-turn operations or diversion onto the opposite carriageway) and to prevent the queue from extending further (entry bans and/or mandatory exits), or vehicles may be redirected onto alternative routes.

Not equivalent to 'closed', but may be the cause.

If the disruption persists and queues continue to form, users will be advised to follow an alternative route (either motorway or ordinary road) recommended to bypass the affected section of the route.

HEAVY TRAFFIC
There is a high volume of vehicles, which may easily lead to slowdowns in the event of even minor disruptions. The large number of vehicles dictates the traffic speed. Lane changes and merging manoeuvres onto the motorway cause additional slowdowns.

SLOW-MOVING TRAFFIC
Slow movement of vehicles along a stretch of road/motorway, a branch of an interchange or a toll station/junction. Vehicles travel parallel to one another in the available lanes. Lane changes and merging manoeuvres may affect the traffic flow, significantly reducing speed and potentially causing queues to form.

OVERSIZE LOAD TRANSPORT
Indicates the possibility of encountering sudden slowdowns and/or queues along the route due to the transit of one or more exceptional loads.

SECTION CLOSED, ENTRANCE CLOSED, EXIT CLOSED, INTERCHANGE CLOSED (FOR ALL VEHICLE CATEGORIES)
Indicates the closure to traffic of all vehicles along a stretch of motorway, a branch of an interchange or a toll station/junction, in one or both directions of travel. When a section is closed, a mandatory exit is imposed at the first junction/toll station of the affected section, and the first and all intermediate entrances in the direction of the closure are closed. Intermediate exits also become mandatory.

SECTION CLOSED FOR TARPAULIN TRUCKS, VANS, CAMPERS AND CARAVANS
Closure of a motorway section to traffic for tarpaulin-covered vehicles, vans, motorhomes and caravans only. The restriction is due to strong winds.

SLOW-MOVING VEHICLES
Indicates the presence of mobile work vehicles along the carriageway: for example, snowploughs and/or salt spreaders operating on the road/motorway, vehicles used for repainting road markings, or vehicles used for cleaning vertical signage.

ESCORTED VEHICLES DUE TO BAD WEATHER
Measure by which the Traffic Police and/or the Motorway Operator/Concessionaire oversee the gradual resumption of traffic following a previous vehicle stoppage, using a designated vehicle (acting as a “safety car”) positioned at the head of the queue to regroup vehicles, regulate their speed and, in any case, ensure a safe return to normal traffic conditions.

VEHICLE DRIVING THE WRONG WAY
Indicates the presence of one or more vehicles travelling in the wrong direction and entails the closure of the entrances affected by their trajectory.

STOPPED/BROKEN-DOWN VEHICLE
Presence of a stopped and/or broken-down vehicle obstructing the roadway.

VEHICLE ON FIRE
Indicates the presence on the carriageway, or at its edges, of a vehicle on fire.

STRONG WIND
This alert is issued when wind speeds exceed 40 km/h or are otherwise considered—by the Operator or the Traffic Police—to be capable of compromising vehicle stability. The event may be accompanied by a warning advising against travel or by a transit ban for tarpaulin-covered vehicles, vans, caravans and motorhomes.

 
REDUCED VISIBILITY (CAUSE: SMOKE)
Presence of smoke invading the road/motorway and reducing drivers’ visibility.

Last update: Monday 17 November 2025