The new Italian Road Code (1992) replaces road infrastructure legislation of which the most recent is more than 40 years old. It provides new rules in particular in relation to the new planning criteria. These rules are necessary if the infrastructure is to satisfy new needs in a context that has been modified over time because of an increase in traffic volume and a greater sensibility to environmental and safety issues. An essential part of the new road code is the institution of a functional classification of the road hierarchy necessary to correctly specify the technical characteristics of each new project in relation to the function that the road should have. In this article an outline is given of the aspects of greatest interest which regard the practical application of the principles of the new code. Particular reference is made to the problems relative to the quality of planning in light of the new legislation. The necessity to increase the level of detail in projects even in the early phases to allow a correct macro economic evaluation is highlighted.
