Driving the A1 from Bologna to Montecatini... help?

Driving time is about half an hour between Montecatini and Florence and one hour from Bologna to Firenze (this is the time I spent a couple of days ago, with little traffic but rather bad weather). Add some extra time as bad traffic is always possible. Truck traffic is severely limited on Saturdays, Sundays and festive days, but very intense during working days. Also bad weather is frequent in winter (snow possible).

Google apparently ignores that an alternative itinerary (Variante di valico) was opened two weeks ago and keeps labeling it as closed - it is open. The first section from Florence to Barberino is the old itinerary, relatively steep and curvy. Some works and queues possible. As you arrive at Barberino, you may choose between the old itinerary via Roncobilaccio/Pian del Voglio/Rioveggio or the new via Badia. The new itinerary, mostly in tunnels, is straighter, lower and in theory faster to drive - but likely more trafficked. Nobody really has some experience about it as it was opened only two weeks ago. - When the two itineraries rejoin, the last section is a very easy drive, 3+3 lanes.

Thank you, this is just the kind of detail I was looking for. Sounds like it will be an adventure.
I will definitely add some extra time in the morning. I have to be in Bologna by 7, so it will be a long day!

The Bologna-Florence stretch is a mountain motorway, what it makes it hard is heavy truck traffic during working days and nights - we are talking about a sometimes uninterrupted line of trucks forcing you to overtake all of them in tunnels, curves and descents. It is not impossible but you need to be alert. - Add to it that in winter is easy to find fog or rain or even snow. - This is why doing the road very early in the morning, spending all the day in Bologna and doing it back very late in the night seems to me very exhausting; I would consider spending one of the nights in Bologna, especially if the weather is not good. - On the positive side, the new itinerary takes out some of the more tiring stretches and, being lower in altitude, makes snow more unlikely.

Don't take the threat of snow lightly.

I was in Bologna in February 2 years ago and the amount of snow in the city of Bologna was prodigious. Both at the beginning of the month and 3 weeks later.

I am sure that the mountains would have even more.

I recognise completely the warning about the "wall" of trucks. They move so much slower than anything else, and nose-to-tail, that it is really hard work to break through.

Yes, you will have to pay tolls on that route.

Thank you.

I have decided we won't try to do it all in one day. We'll stay the night in Bologna and drive back the following day. I am not relishing the idea of fighting traffic and possibly weather when we need to be somewhere on time.

I would check the weather and see how it looks. If it's bad weather, with rain and/or snow, i wouldn't attempt it the same morning. From Montecatini, even in the best of circumstances, you need 2 hours, so you need to leave by 5am.

It's not just reaching the Casalecchio exit, you also need to get on the Tangenziale, know which tangenziale exit to take to wherever you meet the group (in the city center?), find parking, etc. If you don't know Bologna, it's not necessarily that easy.

Actually the train from Montecatini to Bologna (with change at Firenze SMN) is definitely faster, even without traffic, unfortunately there is no train that early in the morning that can get you to Bologna before 7 or that late after the night soccer match, therefore you'd need to sleep in Bologna two nights.

I drove the A1 from Milan to Florence, Florence to Venice, and Florence to Rome. Smooth sailing all the way. A great highway system. trucks? lots of them but you pass them on the left at 130km and move on down the road

Jim's experience on the A1 between Florence and a Bologna is correct most of the time, however that is not necessarily the case during winter weather conditions with snow and/or ice on the Apennine portion of the freeway. That is why I recommend to check the weather forecast before you go, given the fact you are there in February. Sometimes it takes hours to get out of that stretch, especially with snow/icy conditions (or also with accidents, which of course are unpredictable).

The point is not that that stretch is impossible to drive; I have driven it by night under the snow and with very limited view, it was hell but I have managed to get to Florence. - As the stretch is so necessary to access half of Italy, every effort is made to keep it clear even under the worst conditions. - The point is that IMHO is not very wise to drive it by night after you have got out of your bed at 4.30am and spent all the day touring Bologna. I would be exhausted by night and not in the best conditions to drive, and to drive a stretch that requires you to be alert. It looks that the original poster has realized it.

A minor point, in case of snow the police may want to check every single car for snow tires or chains before accessing the stretch. This alone may cause an half hour queue.

Thanks again, all.
It seems with the uncertaintainties of the drive, the timing won't work for the food tour I had hoped to revisit in Bologna (Italian Days - fabulous!!), but I still intend on going to a soccer game in Bologna.
It looks like a late-afternoon train, 8:45pm game, stay overnight, train home in the morning is going to be the best route. Less hassle and less stress.
Thank you so much for the thoughts!