Proposal for a 362 km Navigable Canal Linking Milan to the Adriatic

For heavy industries in general and steelworks in particular, a waterway is truly a blessing: supplies of raw materials and the transfer of finished products to markets can occur at extremely low costs, certainly less than over asphalt and rail. This reduces production and distribution costs and eases congestion on other transportation routes.

Based on these considerations, a large number of stakeholders—including the Comune di Riva and the Regione Trentino Alto Adige, but also Chambers of Commerce, industrial associations, municipalities, and provinces, with Milan leading—signed on November 10, 1957, in Mantova a document requesting the Parliament, government, and ministries «an immediate re-evaluation of the entire issue of inland navigation in Northern Italy».

Proposed River Connection

The proposal involves constructing a navigable canal that would cross the Piedmontese foothills of the Po Valley, linking Milan North (Sesto San Giovanni) with the Adriatic Sea.

The route would span 362 kilometers, featuring a complex system of locks to connect Milan at 157.50 meters above sea level with the sea, passing through the Mincio at 61 meters and then reaching the Adriatic. The expected width of the canal is 36.70 meters, enough to allow two motorized barges of 1350 tons capacity to pass each other.

The project also envisioned connections with all the major lakes: Maggiore, Como, Iseo, and, last but not least, Garda.