This thesis investigates the feasibility of introducing a mechanistic–empirical pavement design approach in the Italian context, where no unified national procedure currently exists. The work focuses on the preliminary implementation of the Mechanistic–Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) framework, intended as an initial step toward a broader process that would ultimately include local calibration. A set of structured case studies is developed, and a sensitivity analysis is carried out to investigate the influence of traffic characterization and material behavior on predicted pavement performance. Alternative traffic input descriptions and two hot-mix asphalt materials exhibiting different distress responses are considered in order to assess their impact on the distress and damage evolution.