Learn Hardcore Italian: Se il traffico sarà intenso, prenderemo la scorciatoia lungo la pista ciclabile. - If the traffic is heavy, we will take the shortcut along the bike path.

Although the standard pattern for future conditions in Italian is se + present tense (e.g. Se il traffico è intenso…), many speakers use se + futuro semplice to underline that both the condition and the result lie in the future. It gives a slightly more vivid, spoken-style feel.

Could I use the present tense è in the se-clause instead of sarà?

Yes. Saying Se il traffico è intenso, prenderemo la scorciatoia… is the most common written form. The meaning stays the same; using sarà simply adds a stronger sense of “this will happen.”

What does lungo mean in lungo la pista ciclabile?

Lungo means “along.” It indicates that the shortcut follows the entire length of the bike path, rather than just crossing it or being on top of it.

Could I use sulla or per instead of lungo here?

You could say sulla pista ciclabile (meaning on the bike path), but that suggests riding directly on the lane itself rather than following its course. You could also use per la pista ciclabile (meaning through/along the bike path), but lungo is preferred when you want to stress movement along the whole stretch.

What part of speech is scorciatoia, and how do I pronounce it?

Scorciatoia is a feminine noun meaning “shortcut.” In IPA it’s [skor-t͡ʃa-ˈto-ja], roughly “skor-CHAH-toy-ah” in English phonetics.

Why does Italian use prendere a shortcut instead of fare one?

In Italian you prendere a route or path (“to take a route”). You wouldn’t say fare una scorciatoia, because you’re not “making” the shortcut yourself. You could use tagliare per (“to cut through”), but prendere la scorciatoia is the natural collocation.

Why is there il before traffico? Can we drop the article?

Traffico is a masculine noun and, when referring to traffic in general, Italians usually include the definite article. Dropping it (Se traffico è intenso) would sound ungrammatical.

How do I replace la scorciatoia with a pronoun in the main clause?

Since scorciatoia is feminine singular, the direct-object pronoun is la. You can say La prenderemo lungo la pista ciclabile.

If I move the se-clause to the end, do I still need a comma?

Yes. When the subordinate se-clause follows the main clause, you normally insert a comma:
Prenderemo la scorciatoia lungo la pista ciclabile, se il traffico sarà intenso.