Holidays

Summer exodus: today’s roads are set for a ‘black alert’ due to heavy traffic – here’s what you need to know

Some 25 million vehicles are expected to travel on Anas roads from Friday 7th until Sunday. The FS Group company has closed or suspended 83 per cent of active roadworks until 7 September to ease traffic flow

by Pietro Menzani

8 August 2026

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As the week leading up to Ferragosto approaches, the summer holiday exodus: from Friday 7 to Sunday 9 August, over 25 million vehicles are expected to be on the roads and motorways of the ANAS network. This has been announced by the Road Mobility Observatory of the FS Group company.

The closure of construction sites

Traffic is expected to reach ‘black alert’ levels this morning, whilst this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon will see ‘red alert’ levels. Whilst traffic has been increasing between yesterday afternoon and today due to the rise in journeys from urban centres and short weekend breaks to holiday resorts and seaside destinations, Sunday afternoon will see the return journey to the major cities.

To ease traffic flow, Anas, as part of the ‘Estate Sicura 2026’ plan, has closed or suspended 1,175 roadworks sites from 24 July until 7 September – 83 per cent of the total number of active roadworks sites, which number 1,414 in total.

Esodo di Ferragosto, oltre 25 milioni di veicoli sulla rete Anas

In fact, between 20 July and 6 September, more than 440 million vehicle journeys are expected on the roads and motorways managed by the company, which, according to its chief executive Claudio Andrea Gemme, aims to “ensure a road network that is increasingly safe and efficient, and capable of providing the best possible mobility for the millions of citizens who will be travelling”.

Enhancing staff engagement

In anticipation of increased traffic volumes, Anas has stepped up staff operations across the country. “Around 2,500 technicians and operational staff, together with operators in the regional control centres and the national situation centre, are working to ensure constant monitoring of the road network and to guarantee the highest possible level of assistance to road users and traffic management,” explained Gemme.

The days marked with a black sticker, as the CEO of Anas explains, “coincide with the peak of summer travel and require even greater care from all road users. We are therefore urging travellers to plan their journeys in advance, checking traffic conditions, the roadworthiness of their vehicle and the weather forecast before setting off’.

The busiest roads

The increase in traffic will be particularly noticeable at the main tourist hubs. Among the roads most affected by this traffic are, first and foremost, the A2 “Mediterranean Motorway”, which crosses Campania, Basilicata and Calabria; the SS 106 Jonica and SS 18 Tirrena Inferiore in Calabria; the A19 Palermo–Catania and A29 Palermo–Mazara del Vallo motorways in Sicily; and the SS 131 Carlo Felice in Sardinia.

Heavy traffic is also expected on the SS148 Pontina in Lazio, which, together with the SS7 ‘Appia’, provides links between Rome and the tourist resorts in southern Lazio.

The increase in traffic will also affect the main roads linking Umbria, Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. In the north, particular concern is being raised by the RA13 and RA14 motorway slip roads in Friuli-Venezia Giulia leading to the border crossings, the SS36 around Lake Como and the Spluga Pass in Lombardy, the SS45 in the Trebbia Valley in Liguria, the SS26 in the Aosta Valley and the SS309 Romea between Emilia-Romagna and Veneto, and the SS51 in Alemagna in Veneto.

“Safety,” reiterated the CEO of Anas, “must be the guiding principle for every journey. Adhering to speed limits, maintaining a safe following distance, avoiding distractions whilst driving and taking regular breaks during longer journeys are essential practices for preventing accidents and helping to ensure smoother and safer traffic flow.”

According to Gemme, cooperation will be needed from all those involved, from the police to local authorities, including motorists themselves. The hope, he concluded, “is that everyone can reach their destination safely, enjoying a summer characterised by caution and responsibility”.