The renovation of the Umberto I Tunnel with the TX active® photocatalytic paint has officially started.
The work, which is the result of a sponsorship agreement between the City Council of Rome, Italcementi and C.I.M., will terminate on September 8 just before the "White Night" event.
The 9,000-m² tunnel vault will be covered with a C.I.M. photocatalytic paint based on TX Active®, the photocatalytic active principle patented by Italcementi able to destroy airborne pollutants.

“The project – commented the Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni – will return the tunnel to Rome’s community in a completely renovated condition. The tunnel will be given back to pedestrians and citizens, who will now be able to use it without being suffocated by urban pollution, with renovation works that will cost the City Council absolutely nothing”.
According to the agreement with the City Council of Rome, the two companies - Italcementi and C.I.M. – are sponsoring the works with a total investment amounting to roughly 500,000 Euro.

“We are delighted that the City of Rome has chosen to use this product which is capable of significantly contributing to fighting smog in urban areas”, commented Italcementi CEO Carlo Pesenti. “The City Council’s choice has been as innovative as TX Active®  is innovative in its field. Speaking as a citizen, I sincerely hope that the attention and sensitivity to environmental issues shown by the City Council of Rome can serve as an example for other cities who are adopting solutions to combat the problems of urban pollution.”

The efficacy of the TX Active® based products has been widely demonstrated. Applications implemented over the last few years in urban environments – therefore outside the optimal conditions provided in laboratory tests - have proved the product’s marked capacity to reduce airborne pollutants at rates ranging from 20% to 70% depending on the weather conditions and the solar irradiation that triggers the photocatalytic process.

As agreed with the City Council of Rome, Italcementi and C.I.M. conducted a series of preliminary analyses that consisted in tracing all the polluting substances and processing the relative data before the renovation project was started. Upon completion of the works, results will be compared to the test results to check efficacy and quality of the project.

The appointment is hence set for September 8, 2007 when, during the inauguration of the Exhibition Hall, the renovated tunnel will be returned to the City of Rome.