Aci celebrates 100 years of the A9 Milan-Como

The celebrations took place yesterday for the 100th anniversary of the A9 Milan-Como motorway, the historic "Autolaghi" inaugurated in 1925 as the first motorway in the world. Between parades of vintage cars, institutional interventions and moments celebratory, the day also represented an opportunity for remember the civic and institutional battles that have helped transform it into a modern infrastructure and safe, in step with the times. This is the case of the historic campaign launched in 1998 from the Automobile Club Como together with the Corriere di Como. At the time, the A9 was an inadequate infrastructure, the scene daily accident and congestion report. ACI Como and Corriere they decided to give voice to the citizens through a signature collection which obtained thousands of signatures, raising awareness among local authorities and Lombardy Region. The objective was clear: a safer A9, modern and equipped with a third lane. The impact was immediate. The The Provincial Council called an extraordinary session on the topic and a permanent Conference on Mobility was established, with the direct involvement of ACI Como. The president of ACI Como, Enrico Gelpi, spoke of a historic result achieved "thanks to the strength of public opinion." Among the first supporters of the work, already in 1998, there was the Honorable Alessio Butti, current Undersecretary for Presidency of the Council, which was the political promoter of the project to expand the Lainate-Grandate section. The process was long, but in 2004 the project was included among the works strategic of the IV Additional Act of the agreement with Autostrade per l'Italia. The works officially began in July 2009 in Turate and concluded in the summer of 2012, with ten months in advance, profoundly transforming the road system of the area, improving connections and safety. Today, one hundred years after the birth of the A9, Como celebrates not only a fundamental infrastructure for the territory, but also the commitment of those who have been able to transform a collective need into a concrete project.