Sub-port tunnel to link east and west Genoa.

Italy has launched a major infrastructure project to construct an underwater tunnel in the north-western port city of Genoa, in what is the first of its kind in the country.

The sub-port tunnel, which will be 3.4 km long with a maximum depth of 45 metres below sea level, will span the basin of the old port and create a new direct link between the west and east of the city.

Hailing it as a "historic day in Genoa", Italy's transport minister and deputy premier Matteo Salvini on Tuesday inaugurated the port tunnel project which he said will be "the longest in Italy and the largest in Europe in terms of diameter."

Giornata storica oggi a Genova, dove sono partiti i lavori del tunnel subportuale, una strada sottomarina lunga 3,4 chilometri (la più lunga d’Italia e la più grande d’Europa per diametro) che collegherà i due lati della città, togliendo traffico dalla superficie e portando… pic.twitter.com/zOMW3lKbDS— Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) March 4, 2024

Salvini said the undersea tunnel, which has been "discussed for decades", would result in lighter traffic above ground and would lead to "urban regeneration, parks and clean air" in Genoa.

The scheme, based on a masterplan by the celebrated Italian architect Renzo Piano, envisages two main separate tunnels, one for each direction, where vehicles can travel at 70 km per hour.