THE SUPER-HIGHWAY.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 223, 9 February 1928, Page 7

THE SUPER-HIGHWAY.

CATERING FOR SPEEDSTERS.

f In New Zealand the consistent (policy of all roading authorities has been to restrict as far as possible the Weight and speed of motor vehicles j# to the strain the roads can bear. Considering that we have a small population upon a country of elongated topography, this is doubtless the Only feasible policy to adopt. We know in our minds, however —though We may not all admit as much—that We cannot indefinitely fight against the inevitable trend of traffic, and that we must really build the roads to suit the traffic, instead of limiting the traffic to the roads to the extent We now enforce. Should the tourist traffic assume anything like the proportions claimed for its future by enthusiasts we shall be obliged to , follow in the wake of older and jl jnore-populous countries. The folW lowing description of Italy’s superhighway is tantalising:— While Italy’s rough and dusty Toads have served somewhat as a deterrent to motoring there in the past, Italian engineers have completed the " super-highway of the world ” leading out of Milan to several Italian Alps lake resorts, building a road that has no speed limit and yet has a maximum degree of safety for the motorist. While other nations have ji been more concerned with the probP lem of curbing speed through law enforcement Italy has set about to * reduce the death toll caused by Speeding automobiles by building, a road to accommodate the speeder. So successful have these highways proved in Italy that projects are already under way to extend them throughout that country. The superhighway system, known as the “ Autostrada,” was completed early In 1926,. being in the nature of an -experiment, but there no longer remains a doubt as to the complete success of the project. Steps have already been taken to interest other Continental countries to build connecting links throughout Western Europe. From Milan these magnificent concrete highways lead straight into the heart of the Italian Alps country, thereby getting the major portion of

the tourist travel to Italian resorts. The roads are approximately 40 feet | wide, and a survey of the conditions which make the highways so safe | will soon convince the most timid ( drivers that they are ideal speedways { on which to test out the quality of Italy’s “ benzina.” ! The first precaution taken to make ' this Italian roadway safe for speeders is a high iron fence which extends down each side of the highway, thus preventing intruders from entering. Moreover, there are no cross-roads on the Autostrada. At points where branch Autostrada roads connect with the main artery of travel, drivers are warned by a series of signs that a “ way station ” exists a mile or more farther on. At this station the branch road is shut off from the main thoroughfare by a heavy gate guarded by an attendant. No cars are permitted to enter except by permission from the gatekeeper, who swings open the gate when the main artery is clear of approaching vehicles for a safe distance, thereby preventing the possibilities of a collision. Another important feature is the complete absence of sharp curves. Although the roads wind over miles of country where it is necessary to skirt mountains and lakes, the engineers have made the curves so gradual as to be absolutely no check to speed. At tremendous expense the Autostrada has been flung across streams and ravines, just so that it could be built to avoid dangerous curves for the speeder. And what a credit to Italian highway engineering these magnificent concrete bridges and viaducts proved to be ! Avoiding the Towns, Since it is obvious that such speedways could not pass through towns and villages without necessarily slowing down traffic, the Italian road-builders have met that problem ' simply by avoiding the towns. The super-highway leads very close to the village, and cars may leave the Autostrada to enter the town, while traffic from the village is allowed to enter the Autostrada only through the gateway guarded by an attendant. While the tourist will find that this feature makes travel somewhat less interesting it cannot be denied that for the native motorist who

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must often travel this route the Autostrada is much more satisfactory than the usual road system. In the beautiful Italian Alps section many of the Milanese have built their magnificent villas, and they take advantage of the Autostrada to reach their homes in record time from Milan. One after another the big Italian cars, with cut-outs wide open, thunder over the Autostrada at a terrific speed. Only motor vehicles are allowed on the super-highway, for with the numerous ox-carts and donkey-carts found in Italy it may be readily understood that the purpose of the Autostrada would be defeated if all types of traffic were permitted on the road.