Anas forecasts

August bank holiday, last departures and first returns. More than 12 million trips expected

Red light on the afternoon of 14 August, at mid-August and on Sunday 17

by Rome Editorial Staff

13 August 2025

TANGENZIALE PARTITO L'ESODO ESTIVO CARTELLI STRADALI INDICAZIONI MOTO CODE TRAFFICO INTENSO AUTO PARTENZE VACANZE

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Key points

Red lights on the afternoon of 14 August, at mid-August and on Sunday 17 August
Traffic hazard roads
1392 construction sites will be closed or suspended until 8 September
"Never drive with a mobile phone"

3' min read

The fourth weekend of the summer exodus is marked by departures for the August bank holiday. On the Anas network for the third weekend of the month, traffic is expected to increase steadily as travellers remaining in the big cities take a few days off to celebrate 15 August in closer locations. There will also be the last holidaymakers travelling to more distant destinations while from Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 the first returns home are expected.

According to estimates by the Anas Road Mobility Observatory, 12 million 210 thousand vehicle movements are expected this weekend. The ban on heavy vehicles is in force on Friday, 15 August from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, 16 August from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, 17 August from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Red lights on the afternoon of the 14th, at mid-August and on Sunday 17 August

Viabilità Italia has announced a red dot from the afternoon of Thursday, 14 August, and for Friday, 15 August: traffic is expected to increase sharply from large urban centres throughout Italy towards holiday resorts, the sea in the south and the mountains in the north and towards the state borders. Decreased traffic, on the other hand, on Saturday 16 August: after the black marks of the past weeks, no long-distance journeys are expected, but short routes for out-of-town trips. On Sunday 17 August, a red dot day, heavy traffic is expected towards large urban centres.

Roads at risk of traffic

The routes affected by this weekend's exodus will be southbound main routes towards holiday resorts, particularly along the Adriatic, Tyrrhenian and Ionian coasts, and along border crossings towards France, Slovenia and Croatia. Traffic may be intensified on the main tourist routes: the A2 'Mediterranean motorway' through Campania, Basilicata and Calabria; the state roads 106 'Jonica' and 18 'Tirrena Inferiore' in Calabria; the A19 'Palermo-Catania' and A29 'Palermo-Mazara del Vallo' motorways in Sicily; the state road 131 'Carlo Felice' in Sardinia State road 148 'Pontina' in Lazio, a particularly busy artery that together with state road 7 'Appia' ensures connections between Rome and the tourist resorts of lower Lazio; the E45 route (SS675 and SS3 bis), which covers Umbria, Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna and connects the north-east with central Italy; the SS1 Aurelia (Lazio, Tuscany and Liguria), SS16 Adriatica (Puglia, Molise, Abruzzo, Emilia-Romagna and Veneto). In the north, the motorway junctions RA13 and RA14 in Friuli-Venezia Giulia towards the border crossings, state road 36 'del Lago di Como e dello Spluga' in Lombardy, state road 45 'di Val Trebbia' in Liguria, state road 26 'della Valle D'Aosta' and state road 309 'Romea' between Emilia-Romagna and Veneto and state road 51 'di Alemagna' in Veneto.

Till 8 September, 1392 construction sites will be closed or suspended

In view of the large increase in traffic flows, Anas announces that it has increased the commitment of personnel throughout the country and reduced the presence of construction sites. Until 8 September, 1,392 construction sites, around 83 per cent of the active sites (1,672), will be closed or suspended.

"Never drive with your mobile phone"

"Never get behind the wheel with your mobile phone," recommends Anas CEO Claudio Andrea Gemme, "I would like to make this appeal to all motorists, as the slogan of our advertisement 'When you're driving, everything can wait'. Even on the occasion of the August bank holiday, driving carefully and prudently is essential to ensure everyone's safety. The euphoria of the holidays and the desire to arrive quickly at one's destination can lead to risky behaviour: according to our latest survey on driving styles, for 51% of Italians it is not dangerous to exceed speed limits. 11.4 per cent believe that 'one can do something else' while driving, while only 55.4 per cent - recalls Gemme - are convinced that road accidents depend on incorrect behaviour. At these times, there is a large volume of traffic, including local traffic, especially on the state roads near built-up areas. I therefore urge people,' he concludes, 'to respect the speed limits and plan their journeys calmly in order to experience a peaceful and safe August bank holiday.