Since 5 June 2024, Autostrada dei Fiori S.p.A. has operated the A6 Turin-Savona motorway stretch.

On the same date, management of the A10 Savona-Ventimiglia (French border) motorway was also assigned to Concessioni del Tirreno S.p.A.

The History of the Turin-Savona Motorway

In the early 1950s, the company SPASIS (Società per Azioni Sviluppo Iniziative Stradali) drew up a preliminary project for the construction of a motorway linking Turin with the Ligurian Sea.

On 18 April 1956, ANAS granted approval to build the Savona-Ceva stretch of the motorway.

On 5 June 1956, the company “Autostrada Ceva Savona S.p.A.” was founded, controlled by of FIAT, Istituto San Paolo and Cassa di Risparmio di Torino, Pirelli, Michelin, UNICEM, Cokitalia, the City and Province of Turin, Unione Industriale, and Torino-Milano.

On 31 October 1962, the (second) agreement for the Ceva-Fossano was signed with ANAS.

In the spring of 1968, shortly before the (third) concession for the construction and operation of the Fossano-Turin stretch was formalised with ANAS, the company took on the new and definitive name of “Autostrada Torino Savona S.p.A.”.

On 21 December 1972, the new agreement (replacing and summarising the three previous ones) was signed with ANAS and became effective in October 1973.

On 31 December 1980, FIAT sold all its shares to FITUR S.p.A. (an investee company). FIAT’s exit anticipated the event that would shortly afterwards mark a turning point in the history of the Turin-Savona.

On 12 August 1982, Article 11 of Italian Law 531/82, “Ten-year plan for the major road network and reorganisation of the motorways”, authorised “Autostrade”, the major company of the IRI Group, to take over the shares of the Turin-Savona motorway at a price equal to 50% of their nominal value.

On 31 December 1982, FITUR S.p.A. sold its entire shareholding to SADIP S.p.A. (Società Azionaria di Partecipazioni) and between January and February 1983 all share parcels were sold to “Autostrade S.p.A.”, with the important exception of Autostrada Torino-Milano and the City of Turin, whose minority interest still exists today.

With the historical core of shareholders gone, it was up to the company Autostrade to implement the most appropriate strategies to revive the Turin-Savona.

Between 1983 and 1987, while capital adjustments were being launched, the discussions necessary to draw up the project to double the entire motorway continued with ANAS and the relevant public bodies – the Piedmont Region, the Liguria Region, and the Superintendency of Environmental and Archaeological Heritage.

On 27 January 1988, the new agreement instrument was signed with ANAS in the form of an “Additional Act” to the 1972 agreement. The new agreement extended the expiry of the concession from 2007 to 2018 and stipulated that the State’s financial support would be equal to 68% of the investment required for the construction of the second carriageway and for improvements to the existing infrastructure; the rest would be provided by the shareholder Autostrade.

The executive plan for doubling up was entrusted to SPEA.

For the Turin-Savona, the completion of doubling up was an absolute priority.

Italian Law 121/89 on the World Cup, coordinated with Italian Law 373/88 on the International Exhibition Genoa ‘92 – Colombo ‘92 to celebrate the 5th centenary of the discovery of America, had introduced special provisions for the execution of public works connected with the holding of the events. The Turin-Savona had taken advantage of this to obtain consent from ANAS to double Lot 1, south of the Carmagnola tollbooth, where there had long been a stretch of carriageway parallel to the motorway, which FIAT had reserved as a test lane for its cars.

In 1991, the Turin-Savona obtained the test lane from FIAT.

On 9 March 2000, the Italian Ministry for the Treasury, which held all of Autostrade’s shares through the IRI Group, sold the controlling interest to the private group that still holds it today, while the remainder of the shares were placed on the stock market.

Nothing had changed for the shareholding structure of the Turin-Savona, but the privatisation of the almost sole shareholder implied, and still implies, involvement in new development strategies.

In the spring of the same year, the Turin-Savona had emerged from its historical isolation from the Italian motorway network by means of the interconnection built near Savona with the motorways of the Ligurian coast. In the same spring, the new concession agreement, which had already been signed with ANAS in December 1999, was definitively approved and replaced all previous agreements. A new financial plan associated with the extension of the concession from 2018 to 2038 now allows the Turin-Savona to implement all its development programmes, from the completion of the doubling up to the extensive series of investments in safety, the improvement and adaptation of many stretches of the “historic” carriageway, and the installation of modern and efficient telecommunications equipment.

Finally, on 12 November 2001, the goal tenaciously pursued since the 1970s by the Turin-Savona was achieved: to complete the doubling up.

On 15 November 2012, the parcel of shares held by Autostrade per l’Italia was sold to the SIAS Group, which later merged into ASTM S.p.A.