# Autostrada A15 (Italy)

The Autostrada A15 or Autostrada della Cisa ("Cisa motorway") is an autostrada (Italian for "motorway") 108.5 kilometres (67.4 mi) long in Italy located in the regions of Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany and Liguria connecting Parma and La Spezia through the valleys of the Taro and Magra rivers. It is a part of the E33 European route.
The road is also known as Autostrada della Cisa because it crosses the Northern Apennines at the Cisa Pass. The main 101-km expanse of the motorway connects the Autostrada A1 with the Autostrada A12, thus directly linking the Po Valley with the Italian Riviera and the Versilia region. The Autostrada A15 is operated by the company Società Autostrada Ligure Toscana [it].
At the 9-km mark, drivers are welcomed by a curious monument, a tuft of steel and cement sculpted by Luigi Magnani and placed in the traffic island between the two carriageways. The monument is visible to motorists coming from the A1.

## History

The first phase of this motorway, dating to the 1950s, was designed to provide an alternative route between the Po Valley and the coastal Tyrrhenian Sea. The construction required several viaducts and tunnels to attain the maximum altitude of 745 metres above sea level at the entrance of the tunnel crossing. Built as a dual carriageway (divided highway), it is very curvilinear and challenging to drive and, therefore, has long been used for testing new heavy duty vehicles.
Except for short stretches of the highway, the road surface is not porous or fitted with storm drains, making it difficult to negotiate during heavy rain.

## Route

The motorway begins from the A1, near Parma. From the Parma Ovest (West Parma) exit the highway climbs through the Taro Valley with exits to Fornovo di Taro, Borgotaro and the village of Berceto, all within the Emilia-Romagna region. After traversing the tunnel, the highway continues into Tuscany, with exits to Pontremoli and Aulla. Shortly after entering Liguria it intersects the A12 at Santo Stefano di Magra, a few kilometres from La Spezia.
There are five service stations and rest areas along the way.
PARMA – LA SPEZIA Autostrada della Cisa :
| Exit | ↓km↓ | ↑km↑ | Province | European route |
| Milano - Roma | 0.0 km (0 mi) | 108.5 km (67.4 mi) | PR | E33 |
| Parma ovest | 5.2 km (3.2 mi) | 103.3 km (64.2 mi) | PR | E33 |
| Rest area "Medesano" | 14.7 km (9.1 mi) | 93.8 km (58.3 mi) | PR | E33 |
| Fornovo di Taro | 22.7 km (14.1 mi) | 85.8 km (53.3 mi) | PR | E33 |
| Borgotaro | 42.1 km (26.2 mi) | 66.4 km (41.3 mi) | PR | E33 |
| Berceto | 51.0 km (31.7 mi) | 57.5 km (35.7 mi) | PR | E33 |
| Rest area "Tugo" | 54.3 km (33.7 mi) | 54.2 km (33.7 mi) | PR | E33 |
| Rest area "Montaio" | 65.3 km (40.6 mi) | -- | MS | E33 |
| Pontremoli | 74.6 km (46.4 mi) | 33.9 km (21.1 mi) | MS | E33 |
| Rest area "San Benedetto" | 79.8 km (49.6 mi) | 28.7 km (17.8 mi) | MS | E33 |
| Aulla | 91.4 km (56.8 mi) | 17.1 km (10.6 mi) | MS | E33 |
| Genova - Rosignano M. | 100.7 km (62.6 mi) | 7.8 km (4.8 mi) | MS | E33 |
| Toll gate La Spezia | 101.7 km (63.2 mi) | 6.8 km (4.2 mi) | SP | E33 |
| Diramazione per Santo Stefano di Magra | 101.9 km (63.3 mi) | 6.6 km (4.1 mi) | SP | E33 |
| Vezzano Ligure | 103.2 km (64.1 mi) | 5.3 km (3.3 mi) | SP | E33 |
| Rest area "Melara" | -- | 2.0 km (1.2 mi) | SP | E33 |
| Melara - Pianazze Industrial area | -- | 1.9 km (1.2 mi) | SP | E33 |
| La Spezia Porto Port of La Spezia Raccordo per Lerici | 107.6 km (66.9 mi) | 0.9 km (0.56 mi) | SP | E33 |
| La Spezia Via Carducci Town center Boarding cruises Ferries to Palmaria, Porto Venere, Cinque Terre, Italian Riviera and Versilia Porto Venere Cinque Terre National Park | 108.5 km (67.4 mi) | 0.0 km (0 mi) | SP | E33 |

### Santo Stefano di Magra connection

| DIRAMAZIONE PER SANTO STEFANO DI MAGRA Santo Stefano di Magra connection ||||||
| Exit | ↓km↓ | ↑km↑ | Province |
| Santo Stefano di Magra | 0.0 km (0 mi) | 1.2 km (0.75 mi) | SP |
| Industrial area | 0.2 km (0.12 mi) | 1.0 km (0.62 mi) | SP |
| Area Retroportuale Port of La Spezia | 0.5 km (0.31 mi) | 0.7 km (0.43 mi) | SP |
| Parma - La Spezia | 1.2 km (0.75 mi) | 0.0 km (0 mi) | SP |

### Lerici connection

| RACCORDO PER LERICI Lerici connection ||||||
| Exit | ↓km↓ | ↑km↑ | Province |
| Parma - La Spezia | 0.0 km (0 mi) | 3.7 km (2.3 mi) | SP |
| Porto Est Port of La Spezia Industrial area | 0.6 km (0.37 mi) | 3.1 km (1.9 mi) | SP |
| di Lerici Romito Magra | 3.7 km (2.3 mi) | 0.0 km (0 mi) | SP |

## Proposed construction

A plan to extend the motorway route to the north through Fontevivo, Martignana di Po and Nogarole Rocca, linking to the A22 (the Autobrennero) around Verona, has been proposed. Land has been secured both for straightening the present route through the construction of new viaducts and tunnels and for the proposed extension. The town of Villafranca in Lunigiana and neighbouring municipalities have petitioned for opening such a new toll motorway. Negotiations have begun with private motorway companies and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport.