Hi_Henry
The Living Force
The Empire (USA) also has this issue with bridges etc. Another big one that I read about sometime ago was water supply systems in cities. Old !!!
Bridge Collapse in Genoa, Italy
- Thread starter angelburst29
- Start date
Hi_Henry
The Living Force
I had the same thought a couple of days ago.
But you don't need to go so exotic. Just send the "right people" on the ground and they can do wonders to help something like this happen. What is curious is that it happened while it was raining so hard. "Curious" is all we have to go on.
FWIW, I don't see any conspiracy needed there regarding immigration. They can do that via other means, to make the government look bad in the eyes of the population, if they want to. But notice that here, it is private companies being held responsible.
All you need is incompetent and lazy people, not using funds appropriately (or stealing them) and not repairing what needs repairing. Then, some rain or a tiny shift in the ground, et voilà. If the leaked document is legit, then that's all there is, IMO.
Hi_Henry
The Living Force
Exactly. Apparently it was a highly risky problem (built in 1967) waiting to happen. Now the cause of it happening can only be assessed by people looking at the physical evidence. Sometimes such people are told to close their eyes when doing this type of work but we will not know anything first hand about such shenanigans.
Some of the latest from Italy G-trans
Crollo ponte Morandi: 39 morti. Rischio cedimento di un altro pilone
Morandi bridge collapse: 39 dead. Failure risk of another pillar
The death toll remains provisional. No further discovery in the night. State funeral services Saturday. Danger to the houses below the viaduct, the drama of displaced people. The government against Autostrade companies
The death toll, still provisional, is 39 dead, including three children aged eight, 12 and 13, and 16 wounded, including nine in red.
The night just passed excavations and research has not led to the discovery of other victims but, of course, the work of firefighters continues incessantly. A heavy budget, that of the collapse of the Morandi bridge, in addition to the drama of the hundreds of displaced people and the controversy over the causes and responsibilities that result in political controversy.
Above there are the collective pain and dismay at the Genoa tragedy, which found expression in the words of Pope Francis at the Angelus: "spiritual closeness" to the families of those who have lost their lives, "to the wounded, the displaced and to all those who suffer because of this dramatic event ".
The Genoa Public Prosecutor has opened an investigation for culpable disaster and multiple homicide against unknown persons to ascertain the causes of what the prosecutor Francesco Cozzi called "an immense and insane tragedy", for which "we can not talk about fatality ".
The magistrates will also take care on the ties of the viaduct (here the call for their replacement) and will be acquired all the documentation on the service contract that commits Autostrade for the maintenance.
The research of the bodies and of any survivors went on all night and continued throughout the day.
The fire brigade teams worked on both sides of the Polcevera, where the rubble is concentrated and also in the creek bed.
And they continue to do so both near the pylon of the collapsed part of the Morandi Bridge and in the area of the railway, the one closest to the portion of the structure remained suspended.
STATE FUNERALS
According to prefectural sources of the Municipality, the victims will be celebrated with state funeral Saturday at 11 am in the Jean Nouvel pavilion of the Fiera di Genova. In addition to representatives of the government, there may be the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella. The ceremony will be celebrated by the archiverscovo of Genoa, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco.
· THE DRAMA OF DISPLACED
There are 664 people, 331 families, who have had to leave their homes. Homes that have announced the mayor of Genoa Marco Bucci and the governor of Liguria Giovanni Toti, will be demolished. The supporting structures of the viaduct insisted on an urbanized area. And now the risk is that the pylon left standing above the buildings may collapse. For this reason, displaced persons have been banned from returning to their homes to take personal belongings. The large debris that fell in the Polcevera area, which could cause the torrent to overflow, also worries. A situation in which the Civil Protection has emphasized the need to remove the rubble "within days and not months".
· THE GOVERNMENT: REVIEW THE CONCESSION
After the declarations of the vice premier Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio, and of the Minister of Transport Danilo Toninelli, at the end of an extraordinary CDM held in Genoa, the Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the start of the procedure for the revocation of the concession to Autostrade company. "We can not wait for the timing of justice", he said, saying that the government "will be much more rigorous in evaluating the clauses" and will "review the service contracts to make the constraints more stringent".
Autostrade replied saying that he will have always respected his obligations and said he was ready to rebuild the viaduct in five months.
· POLITICAL POLEMICS
The search for responsibilities is intertwined with the political confrontation, both on the internal and on the European front. If on the one hand the majority of government accuses the executive precedents of having covered Autostrade, on the other it calls into question the budgetary constraints imposed by Brussels. In particular, Salvini insists on this point. A theory that the European Commission replies saying that "Italy has had a lot of flexibility" and remembering the allocations to our country for infrastructure.
911/211 Calls: No time line.
In the audio the first calls received from the Operational Center of the Liguria Region. Citizens residing near the Morandi bridge immediately signaled the collapse of the single number of emergencies, 112. .
Crollo ponte Morandi: 39 morti. Rischio cedimento di un altro pilone
Morandi bridge collapse: 39 dead. Failure risk of another pillar
The death toll remains provisional. No further discovery in the night. State funeral services Saturday. Danger to the houses below the viaduct, the drama of displaced people. The government against Autostrade companies
The death toll, still provisional, is 39 dead, including three children aged eight, 12 and 13, and 16 wounded, including nine in red.
The night just passed excavations and research has not led to the discovery of other victims but, of course, the work of firefighters continues incessantly. A heavy budget, that of the collapse of the Morandi bridge, in addition to the drama of the hundreds of displaced people and the controversy over the causes and responsibilities that result in political controversy.
Above there are the collective pain and dismay at the Genoa tragedy, which found expression in the words of Pope Francis at the Angelus: "spiritual closeness" to the families of those who have lost their lives, "to the wounded, the displaced and to all those who suffer because of this dramatic event ".
The Genoa Public Prosecutor has opened an investigation for culpable disaster and multiple homicide against unknown persons to ascertain the causes of what the prosecutor Francesco Cozzi called "an immense and insane tragedy", for which "we can not talk about fatality ".
The magistrates will also take care on the ties of the viaduct (here the call for their replacement) and will be acquired all the documentation on the service contract that commits Autostrade for the maintenance.
The research of the bodies and of any survivors went on all night and continued throughout the day.
The fire brigade teams worked on both sides of the Polcevera, where the rubble is concentrated and also in the creek bed.
And they continue to do so both near the pylon of the collapsed part of the Morandi Bridge and in the area of the railway, the one closest to the portion of the structure remained suspended.
STATE FUNERALS
According to prefectural sources of the Municipality, the victims will be celebrated with state funeral Saturday at 11 am in the Jean Nouvel pavilion of the Fiera di Genova. In addition to representatives of the government, there may be the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella. The ceremony will be celebrated by the archiverscovo of Genoa, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco.
· THE DRAMA OF DISPLACED
There are 664 people, 331 families, who have had to leave their homes. Homes that have announced the mayor of Genoa Marco Bucci and the governor of Liguria Giovanni Toti, will be demolished. The supporting structures of the viaduct insisted on an urbanized area. And now the risk is that the pylon left standing above the buildings may collapse. For this reason, displaced persons have been banned from returning to their homes to take personal belongings. The large debris that fell in the Polcevera area, which could cause the torrent to overflow, also worries. A situation in which the Civil Protection has emphasized the need to remove the rubble "within days and not months".
· THE GOVERNMENT: REVIEW THE CONCESSION
After the declarations of the vice premier Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio, and of the Minister of Transport Danilo Toninelli, at the end of an extraordinary CDM held in Genoa, the Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the start of the procedure for the revocation of the concession to Autostrade company. "We can not wait for the timing of justice", he said, saying that the government "will be much more rigorous in evaluating the clauses" and will "review the service contracts to make the constraints more stringent".
Autostrade replied saying that he will have always respected his obligations and said he was ready to rebuild the viaduct in five months.
· POLITICAL POLEMICS
The search for responsibilities is intertwined with the political confrontation, both on the internal and on the European front. If on the one hand the majority of government accuses the executive precedents of having covered Autostrade, on the other it calls into question the budgetary constraints imposed by Brussels. In particular, Salvini insists on this point. A theory that the European Commission replies saying that "Italy has had a lot of flexibility" and remembering the allocations to our country for infrastructure.
911/211 Calls: No time line.
angelburst29
The Living Force
The number of victims of the recent collapse of a section of Morandi motorway bridge in Genoa increased to 43 people on Saturday, as one of those severely injured has passed away at a hospital, RaiNews24 reported.
18.08.2018 - Death Toll From Collapse of Motorway Bridge in Genoa Rises to 43 - Reports
Death Toll From Collapse of Motorway Bridge in Genoa Rises to 43 – Reports
According to the RaiNews24 broadcaster, a 36-year-old driver from Romania died at a hospital of San Martino in Genoa. Thus, nine people remain in hospitals, with eight of them in a serious condition.
A part of Ponte Morandi in the Italian northwestern city collapsed on Tuesday, with at least 30 cars plunging hundreds of feet to the ground. Death toll previously stood at 42 people, while 10 injured had been remaining in hospitals.
Meanwhile, CEO of Autostrade per l'Italia, which manages and maintains most of Italy's toll roads, including the collapsed Morandi bridge in the city of Genoa, apologized on Saturday for the tragedy for the first time since it has happened.
"I apologize profoundly. I express my grief and closeness to the relatives of the victims, their friends, the Genoese, this is the pain that I carry in my heart," Giovanni Castellucci said during a special press conference in Genoa, which was broadcast live by Italian news channels.
Castellucci assured that Autostrade per l'Italia intended to alleviate the suffering of people whose relatives died as a result of the collapse of the bridge. He announced that the company was creating a special fund worth "millions of euros" for the tragedy's victims.
He added that the company was ready to begin work on restoring the collapsed bridge.
"It is our primary responsibility to restore this bridge and to resume traffic on it, and we have a project that will allow us to do this within eight months, including the dismantling and restoration process to get a new steel bridge," Castellucci said.
He reiterated that the company had no information that the collapsed bridge had been in a critical condition.
"All the reports that I was acknowledged with said that its condition was good," he said.
The top manager added that this issue would be the subject of analysis and expertise, which will be held at the request of the prosecutor's office.
This is the first public appearance of Autostrade per l'Italia leadership after the tragedy in Genoa. Until now, Castellucci has been limited to brief statements that "all the work and condition of the viaduct were under constant surveillance and control," and that "there was no evidence that the bridge was posing threat."
Italy declared a national mourning on Saturday. Earlier in the day, the state funeral of 18 people, including a nine-year-old boy, who died as a result of the motorway collapse, was held at one of the premises of the city's fairgrounds.
18.08.2018 - Death Toll From Collapse of Motorway Bridge in Genoa Rises to 43 - Reports
Death Toll From Collapse of Motorway Bridge in Genoa Rises to 43 – Reports
According to the RaiNews24 broadcaster, a 36-year-old driver from Romania died at a hospital of San Martino in Genoa. Thus, nine people remain in hospitals, with eight of them in a serious condition.
A part of Ponte Morandi in the Italian northwestern city collapsed on Tuesday, with at least 30 cars plunging hundreds of feet to the ground. Death toll previously stood at 42 people, while 10 injured had been remaining in hospitals.
Meanwhile, CEO of Autostrade per l'Italia, which manages and maintains most of Italy's toll roads, including the collapsed Morandi bridge in the city of Genoa, apologized on Saturday for the tragedy for the first time since it has happened.
"I apologize profoundly. I express my grief and closeness to the relatives of the victims, their friends, the Genoese, this is the pain that I carry in my heart," Giovanni Castellucci said during a special press conference in Genoa, which was broadcast live by Italian news channels.
Castellucci assured that Autostrade per l'Italia intended to alleviate the suffering of people whose relatives died as a result of the collapse of the bridge. He announced that the company was creating a special fund worth "millions of euros" for the tragedy's victims.
He added that the company was ready to begin work on restoring the collapsed bridge.
"It is our primary responsibility to restore this bridge and to resume traffic on it, and we have a project that will allow us to do this within eight months, including the dismantling and restoration process to get a new steel bridge," Castellucci said.
He reiterated that the company had no information that the collapsed bridge had been in a critical condition.
"All the reports that I was acknowledged with said that its condition was good," he said.
The top manager added that this issue would be the subject of analysis and expertise, which will be held at the request of the prosecutor's office.
This is the first public appearance of Autostrade per l'Italia leadership after the tragedy in Genoa. Until now, Castellucci has been limited to brief statements that "all the work and condition of the viaduct were under constant surveillance and control," and that "there was no evidence that the bridge was posing threat."
Italy declared a national mourning on Saturday. Earlier in the day, the state funeral of 18 people, including a nine-year-old boy, who died as a result of the motorway collapse, was held at one of the premises of the city's fairgrounds.
angelburst29
The Living Force
September 7, 2018 - Genoa authorities ask Autostrade, Fincantieri to rebuild bridge
Genoa authorities ask Autostrade, Fincantieri to rebuild bridge
FILE PHOTO: The collapsed Morandi Bridge is seen in the Italian port city of Genoa, Italy, August 14. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini
Autostrade, part of infrastructure group Atlantia, operated the 50-year-old bridge and its involvement in the rebuilding could soothe public anger at the toll-road group.
Famed architect Renzo Piano has offered to donate project designs for a new viaduct in his hometown.
“This new bridge will have to last a thousand years. It will be made in steel and it should be simple, frugal but not banal,” Piano said after attending a meeting with the CEOs of the two companies and local politicians.
“We have asked Autostrade to cooperate with Fincantieri, which is part of the local community, on demolishing and rebuilding the bridge,” Liguria region governor Giovanni Toti said at the end of Friday’s meeting.
“We want to drive our cars on the new bridge from October 2019,” Genoa major Marco Bucci said.
The deadly bridge collapse sparked public outrage in Italy. Rome’s anti-establishment government has piled blame on Autostrade, which runs the A10 motorway that links Genoa to the French border.
Autostrade’s top executives, including CEO Giovanni Castellucci, are among 20 people being investigated for alleged manslaughter after the disaster.
Autostrade and its sister engineering company Spea are also under investigation. Under Italian law, companies are also held responsible for their employees’ actions.
“We feel responsible for managing an infrastructure that collapsed, causing a huge disaster and pain ... but being guilty requires awareness of the causes, which will have to be ascertained,” Castellucci told Italian daily La Stampa.
Several Transport Ministry officials are also being probed.
The government has promised to revoke the entire motorway concessions operated in Italy by Autostrade, which is controlled by the Benetton family, saying the company reaped extra profits from the motorway business.
“We have started a huge work on concessions ... we will review them one-by-one,” Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said in an interview published in Corriere della Sera.
“Autostrade is only the tip of the iceberg ... there are also water, telecommunications and television,” he said without elaborating.
Genoa authorities ask Autostrade, Fincantieri to rebuild bridge
Autostrade, part of infrastructure group Atlantia, operated the 50-year-old bridge and its involvement in the rebuilding could soothe public anger at the toll-road group.
Famed architect Renzo Piano has offered to donate project designs for a new viaduct in his hometown.
“This new bridge will have to last a thousand years. It will be made in steel and it should be simple, frugal but not banal,” Piano said after attending a meeting with the CEOs of the two companies and local politicians.
“We have asked Autostrade to cooperate with Fincantieri, which is part of the local community, on demolishing and rebuilding the bridge,” Liguria region governor Giovanni Toti said at the end of Friday’s meeting.
“We want to drive our cars on the new bridge from October 2019,” Genoa major Marco Bucci said.
The deadly bridge collapse sparked public outrage in Italy. Rome’s anti-establishment government has piled blame on Autostrade, which runs the A10 motorway that links Genoa to the French border.
Autostrade’s top executives, including CEO Giovanni Castellucci, are among 20 people being investigated for alleged manslaughter after the disaster.
Autostrade and its sister engineering company Spea are also under investigation. Under Italian law, companies are also held responsible for their employees’ actions.
“We feel responsible for managing an infrastructure that collapsed, causing a huge disaster and pain ... but being guilty requires awareness of the causes, which will have to be ascertained,” Castellucci told Italian daily La Stampa.
Several Transport Ministry officials are also being probed.
The government has promised to revoke the entire motorway concessions operated in Italy by Autostrade, which is controlled by the Benetton family, saying the company reaped extra profits from the motorway business.
“We have started a huge work on concessions ... we will review them one-by-one,” Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said in an interview published in Corriere della Sera.
“Autostrade is only the tip of the iceberg ... there are also water, telecommunications and television,” he said without elaborating.
angelburst29
The Living Force
September 9, 2018 - Genoa Bridge Reconstruction to Cost 150-200 Million Euros, Official says
Genoa bridge reconstruction to cost 150-200 million euros, official...
Rebuilding Genoa's collapsed motorway bridge will cost 150 to 200 million euros ($170-$230 million), a local authority official said on Sunday.
The work will be undertaken by state-controlled Fincantieri, in cooperation with Autostrade per l’Italia, Giovanni Toti, the governor of the Liguria region, which is centered on Genoa, told a business conference in northern Italy.
Last month’s collapse of the bridge operated by motorway group Autostrade, which is controlled by infrastructure company Atlantia, killed 43 people.
“The reconstruction will cost between 150 and 200 million euros, while 10-12 million will be necessary for the demolition of the old one and more funds should be granted to families and shopkeepers affected by the disaster,” said Toti.
The regional governor has been appointed as the coordinator for the bridge disaster relief, giving him a powerful voice in the reconstruction initiative.
Italy’s ruling coalition, which comprises the far-right League and anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, has accused Autostrade of serious oversights in its maintenance of the bridge and said it wants to revoke its motorway concessions.
Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli, who is a member of 5-Star, has said Autostrade must pay for the rebuilding work, but should not be involved in any other way.
But Toti appeared to reject that line. “Fincantieri will have the leadership of the reconstruction, together with a group of companies that will also include Autostrade,” he said.
Toti said he had asked the government to issue a decree to waive European Union tender rules for public works to fast-track the reconstruction.
A consortium including Fincantieri and Autostrade would be the quickest way to rebuild the viaduct, a key piece of infrastructure for both Genoa and the country, he said.
“The port of Genoa generates 1.5 percent of Italy’s gross domestic product ... we have to focus to give the bridge back to Genoa and its citizens,” said Toti, who is a member of the conservative, opposition group Forza Italia! (Go Italy!).
Toninelli took to Twitter to criticize Toti’s drive to put together a consortium, saying he was using the disaster to win political consensus.
But Toti dismissed the attack: “A ministry that was not able to supervise infrastructure as it should have cannot block local authorities who are working efficiently on behalf of their citizens,” he said.
Genoa bridge reconstruction to cost 150-200 million euros, official...
Rebuilding Genoa's collapsed motorway bridge will cost 150 to 200 million euros ($170-$230 million), a local authority official said on Sunday.
The work will be undertaken by state-controlled Fincantieri, in cooperation with Autostrade per l’Italia, Giovanni Toti, the governor of the Liguria region, which is centered on Genoa, told a business conference in northern Italy.
Last month’s collapse of the bridge operated by motorway group Autostrade, which is controlled by infrastructure company Atlantia, killed 43 people.
“The reconstruction will cost between 150 and 200 million euros, while 10-12 million will be necessary for the demolition of the old one and more funds should be granted to families and shopkeepers affected by the disaster,” said Toti.
The regional governor has been appointed as the coordinator for the bridge disaster relief, giving him a powerful voice in the reconstruction initiative.
Italy’s ruling coalition, which comprises the far-right League and anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, has accused Autostrade of serious oversights in its maintenance of the bridge and said it wants to revoke its motorway concessions.
Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli, who is a member of 5-Star, has said Autostrade must pay for the rebuilding work, but should not be involved in any other way.
But Toti appeared to reject that line. “Fincantieri will have the leadership of the reconstruction, together with a group of companies that will also include Autostrade,” he said.
Toti said he had asked the government to issue a decree to waive European Union tender rules for public works to fast-track the reconstruction.
A consortium including Fincantieri and Autostrade would be the quickest way to rebuild the viaduct, a key piece of infrastructure for both Genoa and the country, he said.
“The port of Genoa generates 1.5 percent of Italy’s gross domestic product ... we have to focus to give the bridge back to Genoa and its citizens,” said Toti, who is a member of the conservative, opposition group Forza Italia! (Go Italy!).
Toninelli took to Twitter to criticize Toti’s drive to put together a consortium, saying he was using the disaster to win political consensus.
But Toti dismissed the attack: “A ministry that was not able to supervise infrastructure as it should have cannot block local authorities who are working efficiently on behalf of their citizens,” he said.
angelburst29
The Living Force
Sept. 25, 2018 - Italy publishes report blaming Autostrade for failings in bridge collapse
Italy publishes report blaming Autostrade for failings in bridge collapse | Reuters
Italy published a report on Tuesday into road operator Autostrade per l'Italia's role in last month's deadly bridge collapse, laying out evidence that Rome is expected to use to strip the company of its concessions to run Italian motorways.
The report said Autostrade had failed to assess the safety of the Genoa bridge, where a viaduct collapsed on Aug. 14, killing 43 people.
The government has blamed Autostrade for serious oversights and said it wants to revoke all its Italian motorway concessions.
Tuesday’s report by a committee at the Transport Ministry said Autostrade had been unable to deal with issues arising from the aging of the infrastructure it operated. It said that 98 percent of the investment to reinforce the bridge since 1982 had been spent before Autostrade was privatized in 1999.
Autostrade, which is majority owned by Atlantia, a holding company controlled by the wealthy Benetton family, had no immediate comment.
Autostrade runs nearly 3,000 kilometers (2,000 miles) of highways in Italy and accounted for 68 percent of its parent company’s core earnings in the first half of this year.
Shares in Atlantia turned negative after the publication of the document, falling 0.7 percent at 1408 GMT.
Rome has said it does not want Autostrade to play a role in rebuilding the bridge. A judge on Tuesday ruled rebuilding of the bridge could not start for at least two months to allow experts to complete site inspections.
September 25, 2018 - Autostrade rejects ministry's findings over Genoa Bridge
Autostrade rejects ministry's findings over Genoa bridge | Reuters
Italy’s Autostrade, the operator of the bridge that collapsed last month in the port city of Genoa killing 43 people, rejected on Tuesday the findings of a ministerial inquiry that blamed to toll road firm for the disaster.
Autostrade said the report did not clarify the causes of the collapse or how it happened, so the charges laid against Autostrade had to be considered “mere hypotheses that need to be verified.”
Italy publishes report blaming Autostrade for failings in bridge collapse | Reuters
Italy published a report on Tuesday into road operator Autostrade per l'Italia's role in last month's deadly bridge collapse, laying out evidence that Rome is expected to use to strip the company of its concessions to run Italian motorways.
The report said Autostrade had failed to assess the safety of the Genoa bridge, where a viaduct collapsed on Aug. 14, killing 43 people.
The government has blamed Autostrade for serious oversights and said it wants to revoke all its Italian motorway concessions.
Tuesday’s report by a committee at the Transport Ministry said Autostrade had been unable to deal with issues arising from the aging of the infrastructure it operated. It said that 98 percent of the investment to reinforce the bridge since 1982 had been spent before Autostrade was privatized in 1999.
Autostrade, which is majority owned by Atlantia, a holding company controlled by the wealthy Benetton family, had no immediate comment.
Autostrade runs nearly 3,000 kilometers (2,000 miles) of highways in Italy and accounted for 68 percent of its parent company’s core earnings in the first half of this year.
Shares in Atlantia turned negative after the publication of the document, falling 0.7 percent at 1408 GMT.
Rome has said it does not want Autostrade to play a role in rebuilding the bridge. A judge on Tuesday ruled rebuilding of the bridge could not start for at least two months to allow experts to complete site inspections.
September 25, 2018 - Autostrade rejects ministry's findings over Genoa Bridge
Autostrade rejects ministry's findings over Genoa bridge | Reuters
Italy’s Autostrade, the operator of the bridge that collapsed last month in the port city of Genoa killing 43 people, rejected on Tuesday the findings of a ministerial inquiry that blamed to toll road firm for the disaster.
Autostrade said the report did not clarify the causes of the collapse or how it happened, so the charges laid against Autostrade had to be considered “mere hypotheses that need to be verified.”
Maybe Autostrade will get a more fair verdict if it is discovered that there was some natural "land slippage" involved with the collapse.
angelburst29
The Living Force
A 200-metre-long section of the Morandi bridge, part of a motorway linking the Italian port city with southern France, gave way on Aug. 14 last year in busy lunchtime traffic, sending dozens of vehicles into free-fall and killing 43 people.
February 7, 2019 - Families' anguish still raw as Genoa bridge demolition to begin
Families' anguish still raw as Genoa bridge demolition to begin
On Friday, some six months later, builders will start demolishing sections of the bridge ahead of its reconstruction.
Slideshow (20 Images)
Families' anguish still raw as Genoa bridge demolition to begin
February 8, 2019 - Reconstruction of Italian bridge symbol of 'revival' for government
Reconstruction of Italian bridge symbol of 'revival' for government
Heavy machinery began winching down a huge slab of concrete in the northern Italian city of Genoa on Friday to clear the way for a new bridge to be built after the old one collapsed six months ago, killing 43 people.
Famed Genoa-born architect Renzo Piano, who designed the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and The Shard in London, donated a proposal for the new viaduct and has agreed to supervise the works.
After the bridge collapse, the Italian government blamed operator Autostrade per l’Italia, which is controlled by the Benetton family, for poor maintenance and threatened to revoke the group’s concessions.
Autostrade and its top managers are under judicial investigation, along with transport ministry officials, for culpable homicide. The company denies any wrongdoing. The transport ministry has also said it had no responsibility.
The reconstruction contract has been awarded to Italy’sbiggest builder Salini Impregilo and shipbuilder Fincantieri.
Slideshow (6 Images)
Reconstruction of Italian bridge symbol of 'revival' for government
February 7, 2019 - Families' anguish still raw as Genoa bridge demolition to begin
Families' anguish still raw as Genoa bridge demolition to begin
On Friday, some six months later, builders will start demolishing sections of the bridge ahead of its reconstruction.
Slideshow (20 Images)
Families' anguish still raw as Genoa bridge demolition to begin
February 8, 2019 - Reconstruction of Italian bridge symbol of 'revival' for government
Reconstruction of Italian bridge symbol of 'revival' for government
Heavy machinery began winching down a huge slab of concrete in the northern Italian city of Genoa on Friday to clear the way for a new bridge to be built after the old one collapsed six months ago, killing 43 people.
Famed Genoa-born architect Renzo Piano, who designed the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and The Shard in London, donated a proposal for the new viaduct and has agreed to supervise the works.
After the bridge collapse, the Italian government blamed operator Autostrade per l’Italia, which is controlled by the Benetton family, for poor maintenance and threatened to revoke the group’s concessions.
Autostrade and its top managers are under judicial investigation, along with transport ministry officials, for culpable homicide. The company denies any wrongdoing. The transport ministry has also said it had no responsibility.
The reconstruction contract has been awarded to Italy’sbiggest builder Salini Impregilo and shipbuilder Fincantieri.
Slideshow (6 Images)
Reconstruction of Italian bridge symbol of 'revival' for government
angelburst29
The Living Force
Italian prosecutors have placed around 40 more people under investigation in relation to the collapse of a motorway bridge in Genoa last year, including ex-officials of Atlantia's units and the transport ministry, judicial sources said.
Italy prosecutors probe 40 more people over bridge collapse: sources
FILE PHOTO: The collapsed Morandi Bridge is seen in the Italian port city of Genoa, Italy August 15, 2018. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini
Former officials at state-controlled road maintenance operator Anas were also under investigation, the sources said.
The prosecutors’ move broadens a probe started last year after a section of the Morandi bridge in the northern city of Genoa collapsed, sending dozens of cars plunging to the ground and killing 43 people.
The bridge is part of the A10 motorway, which links Genoa to the French border and is managed by toll-road operator Autostrade, a unit of infrastructure group Atlantia.
The 40 or so additional suspects - from Atlantia units Autostrade and Spea Engineering - join Atlantia CEO Giovanni Castellucci, Chairman Fabio Cerchiai and another 19 officials at both the infrastructure group and the transport ministry who were placed under investigation last year.
“The ministry is calmly waiting on the prosecutors’ work, while ensuring full cooperation to get at the complete truth,” a spokesman for the transport ministry said.
Prosecutors will ask the judge for a new evidentiary hearing on the disaster to ascertain the causes of the collapse, the head of the prosecutor’s office Franco Cozzi said recently.
The hearing is expected to last several months, he added.
Italy prosecutors probe 40 more people over bridge collapse: sources
FILE PHOTO: The collapsed Morandi Bridge is seen in the Italian port city of Genoa, Italy August 15, 2018. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini
Former officials at state-controlled road maintenance operator Anas were also under investigation, the sources said.
The prosecutors’ move broadens a probe started last year after a section of the Morandi bridge in the northern city of Genoa collapsed, sending dozens of cars plunging to the ground and killing 43 people.
The bridge is part of the A10 motorway, which links Genoa to the French border and is managed by toll-road operator Autostrade, a unit of infrastructure group Atlantia.
The 40 or so additional suspects - from Atlantia units Autostrade and Spea Engineering - join Atlantia CEO Giovanni Castellucci, Chairman Fabio Cerchiai and another 19 officials at both the infrastructure group and the transport ministry who were placed under investigation last year.
“The ministry is calmly waiting on the prosecutors’ work, while ensuring full cooperation to get at the complete truth,” a spokesman for the transport ministry said.
Prosecutors will ask the judge for a new evidentiary hearing on the disaster to ascertain the causes of the collapse, the head of the prosecutor’s office Franco Cozzi said recently.
The hearing is expected to last several months, he added.
angelburst29
The Living Force
Rebuilding work on a bridge that collapsed in the Italian city of Genoa last year killing 43 people is expected to be completed by next April despite demolition works running late, the special commissioner for the reconstruction said on Wednesday
New Genoa bridge expected to be completed by April 2020
FILE PHOTO: A rose is placed on railings near the collapsed Morandi Bridge in Genoa, Italy, February 9, 2019. REUTERS/Massimo Pinca/File Photo
April despite demolition works running late, the special commissioner for the reconstruction said on Wednesday.
The demolition of the Morandi bridge, which gave way last August sending dozens of vehicles into free-fall, began in February. Italy’s populist government has made its reconstruction a priority, promising a new bridge would be inaugurated next year.
Commissioner Marco Bucci, who is also Genoa’s mayor, said demolition works were running late by two to three weeks, but reconstruction had already begun.
“We’re racing ahead (...) and we’re still proceeding according to plan, which is to have the new bridge ready by April 2020,” he said.
Renowned Genoa-born architect Renzo Piano, who designed the Pompidou Centre in Paris and The Shard skyscraper in London, donated a proposal for the new viaduct and has agreed to supervise the works.
The reconstruction contract has been awarded to Italy’s biggest builder Salini Impregilo and shipbuilder Fincantieri.
The collapse of the bridge has made access to the busy port in the northwestern city more difficult and also meant a lengthy detour for drivers wanting to head onwards to southern France.
New Genoa bridge expected to be completed by April 2020
FILE PHOTO: A rose is placed on railings near the collapsed Morandi Bridge in Genoa, Italy, February 9, 2019. REUTERS/Massimo Pinca/File Photo
April despite demolition works running late, the special commissioner for the reconstruction said on Wednesday.
The demolition of the Morandi bridge, which gave way last August sending dozens of vehicles into free-fall, began in February. Italy’s populist government has made its reconstruction a priority, promising a new bridge would be inaugurated next year.
Commissioner Marco Bucci, who is also Genoa’s mayor, said demolition works were running late by two to three weeks, but reconstruction had already begun.
“We’re racing ahead (...) and we’re still proceeding according to plan, which is to have the new bridge ready by April 2020,” he said.
Renowned Genoa-born architect Renzo Piano, who designed the Pompidou Centre in Paris and The Shard skyscraper in London, donated a proposal for the new viaduct and has agreed to supervise the works.
The reconstruction contract has been awarded to Italy’s biggest builder Salini Impregilo and shipbuilder Fincantieri.
The collapse of the bridge has made access to the busy port in the northwestern city more difficult and also meant a lengthy detour for drivers wanting to head onwards to southern France.
angelburst29
The Living Force
Italian engineers on Friday blew up the looming remnants of a motorway viaduct in the northern city of Genoa whose collapse last August killed 43 people.
Genoa blasts away remnants of tragic motorway bridge
In a few seconds, the remains of the 1.2 km (1,300-yard) elevated road that had connected the port city with southern France fell to the ground with a roar, sending up clouds of cement dust and prompting scattered applause from onlookers.
The explosions centered on two pylons holding up the surviving spans of the viaduct as cannons shot water over the 20,000 cubic meters of steel and concrete to prevent the clouds of dust engulfing the city.
The collapse made access to Genoa’s busy port more difficult and has also meant a lengthy detour for drivers heading to southern France.
“Today not only the old bridge comes down, but the new one starts to rise,” Salvini said.
It remains unclear whether the government will keep its promise to revoke the concession of toll road operator Autostrade per l’Italia, a unit of infrastructure group Atlantia, which was in charge of the bridge’s maintenance.
Slideshow (5 Images)
Genoa blasts away remnants of tragic motorway bridge
Genoa blasts away remnants of tragic motorway bridge
In a few seconds, the remains of the 1.2 km (1,300-yard) elevated road that had connected the port city with southern France fell to the ground with a roar, sending up clouds of cement dust and prompting scattered applause from onlookers.
The explosions centered on two pylons holding up the surviving spans of the viaduct as cannons shot water over the 20,000 cubic meters of steel and concrete to prevent the clouds of dust engulfing the city.
The collapse made access to Genoa’s busy port more difficult and has also meant a lengthy detour for drivers heading to southern France.
“Today not only the old bridge comes down, but the new one starts to rise,” Salvini said.
It remains unclear whether the government will keep its promise to revoke the concession of toll road operator Autostrade per l’Italia, a unit of infrastructure group Atlantia, which was in charge of the bridge’s maintenance.
Slideshow (5 Images)
Genoa blasts away remnants of tragic motorway bridge
angelburst29
The Living Force
Grieving relatives ask Italian road chiefs to leave bridge memorial ceremony
Flowers lay on the motorway traffic barrier after the ceremonies marking the first anniversary of the collapse of a motorway Morandi Bridge that killed 43 people in Genoa, Italy, August 14, 2019. REUTERS/Massimo Pinca
Grieving relatives asked bosses of Italy's biggest motorway operator to leave a ceremony held on Wednesday to remember victims of the bridge collapse in the port city of Genoa that killed 43 people.
The chief executive and chairman of infrastructure group Atlantia - which operated the bridge that collapsed on Aug. 14 last year sending cars and trucks plummeting to the ground - and other company officials left moments before the ceremony began.
Despite a political crisis in Rome, leaders came together to honor the victims of a disaster which has indirectly fed government infighting.
The ruling 5-Star Movement has blamed Atlantia for the disaster, accusing the group of neglecting maintenance on the aging viaduct and calling for its national toll-road concession to be revoked.
Slideshow (26 Images)
Grieving relatives ask Italian road chiefs to leave bridge memorial...
Parts of collapsed Italian bridge lacked maintenance for 25 years: prosecutor
A technical report showed some parts of a bridge that collapsed last year in northern Italy had lacked maintenance for 25 years, a local prosecutor said on Wednesday.
Flowers lay on the motorway traffic barrier after the ceremonies marking the first anniversary of the collapse of a motorway Morandi Bridge that killed 43 people in Genoa, Italy, August 14, 2019. REUTERS/Massimo Pinca
Grieving relatives asked bosses of Italy's biggest motorway operator to leave a ceremony held on Wednesday to remember victims of the bridge collapse in the port city of Genoa that killed 43 people.
The chief executive and chairman of infrastructure group Atlantia - which operated the bridge that collapsed on Aug. 14 last year sending cars and trucks plummeting to the ground - and other company officials left moments before the ceremony began.
Despite a political crisis in Rome, leaders came together to honor the victims of a disaster which has indirectly fed government infighting.
The ruling 5-Star Movement has blamed Atlantia for the disaster, accusing the group of neglecting maintenance on the aging viaduct and calling for its national toll-road concession to be revoked.
Slideshow (26 Images)
Grieving relatives ask Italian road chiefs to leave bridge memorial...
Parts of collapsed Italian bridge lacked maintenance for 25 years: prosecutor
A technical report showed some parts of a bridge that collapsed last year in northern Italy had lacked maintenance for 25 years, a local prosecutor said on Wednesday.