Two Years After Tragedy, New Bridge Opens in Genoa

(Patria) – Nearly two years after the collapse of a bridge in the Italian city of Genoa, which claimed 43 lives, a new bridge is opening in the city.  

On 14 August 2018, the Morandi Bridge, named after the engineer who designed it, collapsed during a heavy downpour, as dozens of vehicles and several trucks slid onto the railway line below the bridge.

The new bridge, a high-tech work with an advanced safety mechanism, was designed by the renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano.

The inauguration on Monday will be attended by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

The families of the victims have refused to take part in the opening ceremony of the new bridge and will gather in nine days to mark the second anniversary of the disaster.

Announcing his participation in the inauguration via Twitter, Conte briefly but symbolically described the situation: 'From a wound that heals slowly to a symbol of a new Italy that is recovering'.

President Sergio Mattarella will be the first to officially cross the new bridge, which will open to traffic only on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The tragedy once again highlighted Italy's decaying infrastructure, and the legal battle over the deaths of 43 people is still ongoing.

The Morandi Bridge, opened in 1967, was considered a high achievement of engineering, but investigation results showed it had been neglected.

Incidentally, the Italian 'Autostrada', which manages nearly half of the country's motorway network, is accused of inadequate road maintenance and falsified safety checks, all in an effort to cut maintenance costs at the expense of work quality.   

Autostrada is a member of the Atlantia group, controlled by the powerful Benetton family, which finally bowed to pressure to hand the company over to the state.

An investigation is underway into Autostrada, as well as several officials from the transport ministry, for negligent homicide.