Inside the Apennines

A Webuild worker is coordinating the mechanical excavation work at a work front on the Terzo Valico dei Giovi project. 1/1

Deep beneath the Ligurian Apennines, where ancient rock puts up its monumental resistance, human ingenuity is writing a new chapter in sustainable mobility, shortening the distance between Italy and the rest of Europe.

The construction site of the Terzo Valico dei Giovi is an invisible mosaic of technology and human skill, with workers guiding machines through the mountain while overcoming its demanding gradients and clearance constraints.

Beneath a freshly sprayed reinforced-concrete vault, man and machine work together to force a path through the rock.

It is a perfect synthesis that, in recent months, has brought excavation to 96% of completion, following the breakthrough of the final diaphragm at the Novi Ligure interconnection and the completion of the complex Castagnola-Vallemme section.

A remarkable virtual bridge is taking shape, designed to connect people and goods traveling from the Port of Genoa toward the rest of Italy and Europe.

Facts & Figures

The project is part of the European TEN-T network.

The new high-speed/high-capacity railway runs for 53 kilometers between Genoa and Tortona/Novi Ligure, with around 70% of the route underground through two parallel single-track tunnels. Passenger trains will be able to travel at speeds of up to 250 km/h.

Starting from Genoa, the Valico Tunnel runs underground for 27 kilometers, making it the longest railway tunnel in Italy. Including all secondary interconnections, the project comprises around 90 kilometers of tunnels.

Construction progress: by the end of May 2026, excavation had exceeded 96% completion.