Planned highway would shorten trip between Aviano, Vicenza

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Planned highway would shorten trip between Aviano, Vicenza
By Kent Harris, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, January 2, 2008

The shortest distance between two points might be a straight line, but navigating between the two largest U.S. bases in northern Italy isn’t so simple. It could be easier in about seven years, though.

The government of the Veneto region awarded a contract last month to a group of firms — headed by Impregilo S.p.A. — to construct a highway that would link the outskirts of Vicenza with the A27 autostrada — bypassing the crowded A4 autostrada. Combined with the link of the A28 autostrada with the A27 — projected around 2010 — the new route would be the shortest between Vicenza and Aviano Air Base.

Airborne soldiers based at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza use Aviano for training and for hooking up with planes for long deployments: The 173rd Airborne Brigade’s last three deployments downrange have all involved launches from Aviano.

“We think it’s great,” said Maj. Ryan Dillon, public affairs officer for the Southern European Task Force (Airborne). “Operationally, any time you can avoid the Mestre traffic, it’s a good thing.”

Taxpayers in the Veneto region aren’t funding the project to help out Americans, though. Sebastiano Carron, a press officer for the region, said the area simply needs more freeway support. Industries currently located in areas north and east of Vicenza have a difficult time getting their goods to market.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=51369