Autostrada A18 (Italy)

Autostrada A18
Autostrada A18
Route information
	Part of E45
	Maintained by ANAS
Existed	1971–present
Section 1
Length	77 km (48 mi)
North end	Messina
Major intersections	A20 in Messina; RA15 in Catania
South end	Catania
Section 2
Length	59.1 km (36.7 mi)
North end	Syracuse
South end	Modica
Location
Country	Italy
Regions	Sicily
Highway system
	Roads in Italy; Autostrade; State; Regional; Provincial; Municipal;

The Autostrada A18 is an autostrada (Italian for "motorway") 77 kilometres (48 mi) long on the Ionian coast of Sicily that links Messina to Catania. The motorway is linked to the A20 Messina-Palermo at its northern end and to the A19 Palermo-Catania through the RA15 Catania's Ring Road at its southern end. There is also a second stretch of the Autostrada A18, 59.1 kilometres (36.7 mi) long, on the south part of the island, running from Syracuse to Modica, and with the plan to extend it to Gela.

From the beginning it was planned to unite the two sections into a single motorway, from Messina to Gela, which would make it possible to optimize connections with the tourist areas and those in the eastern area of Sicily at the time undergoing industrialisation. The two sections of the Autostrada A18 are connected to each other, without interruption, through the Catania's Ring Road (from Catania Nord to the Passo Martino district), the Autostrada Catania-Siracusa (from the Passo Martino district to Augusta-Villasmundo) and the strada statale 114 Orientale Sicula [it] (from Augusta-Villasmundo to Syracuse).

Route edit

Messina – Catania edit

Autostrada A18 near Giardini Naxos

Autostrada A18 near Catania

Exit	↓km↓	↑km↑	Province	European route
MESSINA – CATANIA
Messina-Palermo	0.0	77.0	ME	E45
Messina Sud – Tremestieri	1.4	75.6	ME
Toll gate Messina Sud	1.6	75.4	ME
Itala (in project)	11.0	66.0	ME
Alì Terme (in project)	17.7	59.3	ME
Roccalumera	21.3	54.3	ME
Santa Teresa di Riva - Valle d'Agrò [it] (in project)	26.4	50.5	ME
Rest area "Barracca"	25.6	50.0	ME
Taormina	35.2	40.4	ME
Giardini Naxos	41.0	34.6	ME
Rest area "Calatabiano"	42.2	33.4	CT
Fiumefreddo	47.4	28.2	CT
Mascali - Giarre nord (in project)	53.4	23.6	CT
Giarre	58.7	16.9	CT
Acireale	68.9	6.7	CT
Rest area "Aci Sant'Antonio"	71.3	4.3	CT
Toll gate Catania Nord	75.6	0.7	CT
Paesi etnei	76.7	0.3	CT
Catania Centre – San Gregorio Catania's Ring Road	77.0	0.0	CT

A18 Northern Catania connection edit

Exit	↓km↓	↑km↑	Province
A18 DIRAMAZIONE CATANIA NORD A18 Northern Catania connection
to Messina RA15 – Catania's Bypass	0.0	3.7	CT
San Gregorio	0.1	3.6	CT
Canalicchio	2.0	1.7	CT
Catania Centro	3.7	0.0	CT

Siracusa – Ragusa – Gela edit

Autostrada A18 near Ispica

Autostrada A18 near Modica

Exit	↓km↓	↑km↑	Province	European route
SIRACUSA – MODICA
Orientale Sicula Syracuse	0.0	132.7	SR	E45
Canicattini Bagni	0.1	132.6
Cassibile	9.5	123.2
Avola	14.9	117.8
Noto	24.6	108.1
Rest area "Tellaro" (in project)	36.8	104.9
Rosolini	40.0	92.7
Ispica - Pozzallo Ferries to Malta	47.5	85.2	RG
Modica - Ragusana	59.1	73.6	RG
End of motorway in operation
Scicli	70.5	62.2	RG	in project
Rest area "Irminio"	81.0	51.7
Ragusa	84.4	48.3
Santa Croce Camerina - Vittoria sud	93.8	38.9
Vittoria nord - Comiso Comiso Airport	106.7	26.0
Rest area "Acate nord"	118.0	14.7
Acate	120.6	12.1
Toll gate Gela est	132.5	0.2	CL
Gela est - Sud Occidentale Sicula	132.7	0.0	CL