BESIX and Donati to build tunnels and bridges in Italy

Anas S.p.A., the company managing the Italian national road network, has awarded the “State Road 318 Valfabbrica” contract to the joint venture Valfabbrica 2020, comprising Donati and BESIX.

The contract, worth over 80 million euros, involves doubling State Road 318 over a distance of 3.1 kilometres in the municipality of Valfabbrica, in the province of Perugia (Umbria). This stretch of road includes the Picchiarella and Casa Castalda tunnels, with lengths of 874 metres and 1,545 metres respectively, as well as the Tre Vescovi viaduct and the Calvario bridge.

The project will improve the connection and traffic flow between the cities of Perugia and Ancona. The existing road connecting the two cities will remain in service for the duration of the work.

The construction, organised in seven successive phases, will take 42 months.

The project is the subject of a thorough environmental plan, which will be supervised throughout the duration of the work. The plan includes limiting noise and dust, and reducing earth movements and truck traffic.

The entire infrastructure will be supplied to the client, Anas S.p.A., in the form of a BIM model, facilitating its long-term operation and maintenance.

Jan Van Steirteghem, General Manager Europe of BESIX Group: “BESIX Group is particularly pleased to return to Italy, where we have already built several road projects in the course of our history, particularly in Lombardy and Sardinia. We also have a long-standing and excellent relationship with our partner Donati, with whom we are looking forward to carrying out this project. Together we will deliver first-class infrastructure to our client, Anas, and to the users of State Road 318.”

Angelica Donati, Head of Business Development for Donati SPA: “The Italian infrastructure sector is a key economic driver for the country, and it has gained even more importance as the economy tries to recover from the ongoing crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. Together with our long-standing partner BESIX Group, we look forward to delivering this strategic infrastructure project which will help greatly improve road connectivity in central Italy.”

About BESIX

BESIX Group SA is a global player and the leading group in Belgium in the field of construction. Active since 1909, the group is based in Brussels and operates in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia and Canada. Its achievements include the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest tower, buildings of the European Parliament in Brussels, and the Grand Egyptian Museum, Egypt’s largest construction since the pyramids.

In 2020, BESIX is building and renovating tunnels in Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Arab Emirates. These include the first 100% CO2-neutral tunnel in the Benelux, in Rotterdam. BESIX Group also has decades of experience in building bridges in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, including the Sheikh Zayed Bridge, designed by architect Zaha Hadid in Abu Dhabi.

About Donati

Donati SPA is a design, construction and investment company which works in Italy and abroad. It operates both under contract and independently in the following fields: construction of roads and highways, tunnels, industrial and civil construction, airports, ports, restructuring and restoring monuments, residential development, aqueducts and water purification sites, sewage works, irrigation plants, consolidation work.

The company was founded in 1978 and has grown steadily since then, thanks to its diversified activities.