Italy has a long history of tunnel construction dating back to ancient civilizations. There are currently over 4,000 km of tunnels in Italy used for various purposes including railways, roads, and aqueducts. Safety is a major concern given incidents in the past. Regulations have evolved to improve safety aspects like ventilation, fire prevention, detection and response. Ongoing work includes upgrading existing tunnels and constructing new high-speed rail lines, while also addressing public concerns over environmental impacts.

1. SAFETY ASPECTS IN ITALIAN TUNNEL INFRASTRUCTURE Francesco Mauro Senior consultant for sustainability c/o URS Italia, Via Frattina, 35 00187 Rome, Italy

6. The Physics Laboratory in the Gran Sasso Tunnel

9. Protest against the high speed train line

13. Effects of road tunnels on safety (% in the toll expressway system) Incidence of tunnels in the network Accidents in tunnels in respect to total accidents Fatal accidents in tunnels in respect to total accidents

24. AV/AC SYSTEM IN ITALY