Italy approves €308.8 million plan for seven Adriatic ports

Italy's Central Adriatic Sea Port Authority approved a 2027-2029 operational program worth €308.8 million (about $343.7 million according to Ports News, and around $345 million according to Jornal Portuario and Splash Cruise) for dredging works, quay construction and terminal upgrades at seven ports in the Marche and Abruzzo regions.

Of the total, €217.9 million corresponds to projects already funded or in the design stage in Marche, while €90.9 million is allocated to Abruzzo during 2027 and 2028. The Port of Ancona accounts for a significant share of the plan.

In Ancona, the commercial basin fronting berths 19 to 26 will be dredged, with berth 26 deepened to 14 meters, a project scheduled for October 2027, the same deadline set for the completion of berth 23. The plan also includes €34.4 million for shipbuilding infrastructure in the Fincantieri area, €11 million for the North Quay, €10 million for dredging under the Lungomare Nord program, and €8 million to extend rail tracks in the new port area, in addition to the start of design work on the second phase of the protective breakwater, valued at €73 million.

Pesaro will receive close to €14 million, including €11 million for a containment facility linked to dredging and €3 million for structural works on berth G. In San Benedetto del Tronto, works will include dredging, access improvements and the design of the first phase of a north basin worth €30 million. In Abruzzo, Ortona will begin design work on dredging, a €30 million shoreline berth upgrade and an €8 million port services center, as well as €47 million for deeper dredging, extension of the south breakwater and a rail connection to the TEN-T network. Pescara has a $600,000 dredging project, while Vasto includes monitoring of works by other public bodies worth €44.65 million and a €25 million project to extend the outer breakwater and expand the east yard.

Alongside the approval of the plan, the Port of Ancona is preparing to launch a concession tender in November for cruise and ferry berth number 15, with award expected in February 2027, as part of a shift toward privately operated terminals. The port authority's president, Mirco Carloni, noted that the concession program aims to move away from the traditional model of multipurpose public berths. Following berth 15, currently used by MSC Cruises' ships, tenders are planned for berths 13, 14, 16, 19, 20 and 21 by March 2027, with new concessions planned later in the year.