Genoa Bridge Is Demolished, Erasing An Artifact Of Deadly Collapse

Nearly a year after a long stretch of the Morandi bridge collapsed in Genoa, Italy, a demolition team blew up the structure's remaining pylons Friday morning in a spectacular sight that local leaders say will help the city heal.

The collapse last August killed 43 people. Since then, the bridge that was once an icon of the city has served mainly as a reminder of the tragedy.

Ahead of the demolition, several thousand residents were evacuated from nearby apartment buildings and officials gathered under clear, sunny skies for a ceremony to mark the bridge's destruction.

The explosions shot spikes of dust and rubble high into the air. As charges detonated along the bridge's remaining span, blasts buckled the mammoth concrete pylons, quickly sending the whole structure crashing down and covering it with a shroud of dust.

On the ground, hydrants had been opened to spray water to try to reduce the amount of dust in the air, according to Italy's La Repubblica newspaper.

"The demolition of the east stump of Ponte Morandi has symbolic value," the Liguria regional President Giovanni Toti said. "It means that this skyline that reminds us every day of the tragedy of 14 August will no longer be there and that Genoa enters its future."

It was a sign, Toti said, that Genoa is overcoming the devastating effects of the bridge collapse.

The bridge was a vital connection in Genoa, carrying the A10 highway that emerges from a long mountain tunnel in the west and runs to the port city on the Mediterranean. The roadway is a key link between France and Italy — and it was particularly busy last August, when travelers were using it to reach holiday destinations.

Spanning a dry riverbed, railroad tracks and industrial areas, the Morandi bridge was built in the 1960s. Investigators believe poor maintenance or engineering flaws may have caused it to fail. The viaduct's steel rods were found to have badly deteriorated in the seaside air.

Genoa plans to rebuild the bridge with the help of star architect Renzo Piano — a native of the city who has waived his normally steep fee to help his hometown rebuild. When Mayor Marco Bucci announced last December, he said construction would likely take 12 months.

The design for the new bridge echoes nautical elements, with pillars that are curved like a ship's bow. Its key focal point are 43 sail-like posts, to commemorate those who lost their lives when the old bridge gave way. </s> A series of controlled explosions have seen the remains of a collapsed viaduct in northern Italy go up in a puff of dust, clearing the city of a painful reminder of the tragic collapse that killed 43 people.

The two towers of the 1.2 kilometer-long Morandi motorway bridge in the northern Italian port town of Genoa were brought down in only six seconds.

The footage of the controlled demolition shows cannons shooting water over the steel and concrete structure the moment the explosives went off to prevent the dust clouds from covering the city. The demolition was followed by applause from those who flocked to witness authorities finally wiping the tragic reminder away from Genoa’s conscience.

The bridge used to connect the city with southern France. A section of it collapsed in August 2018 due to heavy rain. The collapse sent dozens of cars tumbling some 50 metres to the ground. Dozens died in the tragedy and many more were injured. It also made access to Genoa’s busy sea port rather more difficult, with travelers having to spend hours on a detour since the collapse.

Earlier this week Italy’s Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli laid the first stone of a new viaduct that will replace the now-demolished one. </s> Rome [Italy], June 29 (ANI): The two remaining towers of Morandi Bridge in central Genoa were blown up in a controlled explosion on Friday, nearly a year after the structure collapsed in a disaster killing 43 people.

Demolition experts brought down the two remaining towers of the highway bridge in dramatic fashion just after 9:30 a.m. (local time), preparing for reconstruction of the grim structure, CNN reported.

Authorities here at the dawn on Friday, evacuated around 3,500 residents in the area to avoid potential contamination, The New York Times reported.

"To my knowledge, it is the first time that this kind of work has been done in so little time and in a city centre, at least in Italy," said Vittorio Omini, a demolition expert.

The lethal collapse last year in August became subject of a criminal inquiry. Nearly 600 people, residing close to the bridge, lost their homes in the collapse and were relocated with the financial support of 'Autostrade per l'Italia' (Highways for Italy), the private company that operated the bridge.

"We couldn't wait for this day to come," said Yosanda Lala, a co-owner of a pizzeria near the so-called red zone, the blocks of apartment buildings adjacent to the bridge, many of which have been partly demolished.

He said, "We can't even deliver our pizza to the customers on the other side of the river," adding, "It takes over an hour to get there."

Residents and shopkeepers told The New York Times that the demolition would be just the first step in a long process of returning to normalcy.

Friday's explosion was attended by Italy's Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini. Residents and shopkeepers said the demolition would be just the first step in a long process of returning to normalcy.

Built in the 1960s, the Morandi Bridge was a vital link of the A10 highway that connects northwestern Italy to France, across the Polcevera river in central Genoa. It was one of the busiest bridges in the country, carrying freight and tourists to and from the port city. (ANI) </s> SIENA, Italy — The two remaining towers of a highway bridge in central Genoa that collapsed last year, killing 43 people, were demolished on Friday, clearing the city’s skyline of a grim landmark and preparing for the reconstruction of a vital urban transport link.

The sound of three low, ominous sirens broadcast on national television preceded the detonation.

Experts set a series of controlled explosions that in less than a minute brought down the nearly 300-foot-tall concrete towers that supported the 1960s structure, known as the Morandi Bridge for its designer, the famed engineer Riccardo Morandi. Its collapse last Aug. 14 has become the subject of a criminal inquiry, as well as a symbol of Italy’s failure to maintain its aging infrastructure and of shortcomings in how it has privatized roadways.

More than 1,300 pounds of explosives were mostly packed into the towers’ pylons. Demolition experts had prepared the site by creating lagoons to keep enormous clouds of concrete dust from spreading across the neighborhood.

The top politicians in Italy’s populist government — vice prime ministers Matteo Salvini of the League and Luigi Di Maio of the Five Star Movement — did not miss the chance to be part of the day. They both viewed the momentous demolition from another bridge near the site, surrounded by a swarm of local politicians and authorities. </s> Demolition experts brought down the two remaining towers of the highway bridge in dramatic fashion just after 9:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. ET), making way for a new structure to be built on the site.

4,000 people were evacuated from their homes to clear the area, AFP reported, and explosives were attached to the legs and body of the bridge, which went down in about seven seconds in a flurry of smoke.

Water tanks were on hand to prevent the spread of dust after the explosion.

Italy's Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, attended the explosion, and crowds of locals watched from a safe distance.

For 10 months, the remains of the structure have stood awkwardly on the outskirts of Italy's sixth-largest city, a painful reminder of tragedy for thousands of its residents. The concrete viaduct collapsed in torrential rain in August 2018 after its cable stays gave way, throwing vehicles to the ground and killing scores of travelers. A picture taken on August 14, 2018 after the bridge collapsed. The incident shocked Italy and prompted a fierce debate about the safety of the country's infrastructure. Built in the 1960s, the Morandi Bridge was a vital link of the A10 highway that connects northwestern Italy to France, across the Polcevera river in central Genoa. It was one of the busiest bridges in the country, carrying freight and tourists to and from the port city. </s> SIENA, ITALY—The two remaining towers of a highway bridge in central Genoa that collapsed last year, killing 43 people, were demolished Friday, clearing the city’s skyline of a grim landmark and preparing for the reconstruction of a vital urban transport link. The sound of three low, ominous sirens broadcast on national television preceded the detonation.

Experts set a series of controlled explosions that in less than a minute brought down the nearly 300-foot-tall concrete towers that supported the 1960s structure, known as the Morandi Bridge for its designer, famed engineer Riccardo Morandi. Its collapse Aug. 14 has become the subject of a criminal inquiry as well as a symbol of Italy’s failure to maintain its aging infrastructure and of shortcomings in how it has privatized roadways. More than 1,300 pounds of explosives were mostly packed into the towers’ pylons. Demolition experts had prepared the site by creating lagoons to keep enormous clouds of concrete dust from spreading across the neighbourhood. The top politicians in Italy’s populist government — vice prime ministers Matteo Salvini of the League and Luigi Di Maio of the Five Star Movement — did not miss the chance to be part of the day. They both viewed the momentous demolition from another bridge near the site, surrounded by a swarm of local politicians and authorities.

“To my knowledge, it is the first time that this kind of work has been done in so little time and in a city centre, at least in Italy,” said Vittorio Omini, a demolition expert and owner of one of the companies that engineered the explosion as well as the dismantling of hundreds of feet of bridge deck and pylons that withstood last summer’s collapse.

About 600 nearby residents lost their homes in the collapse and were relocated with the financial support of Autostrade per l’Italia, or Highways for Italy, the private company that operated the bridge. The reconstruction of the bridge, which kicked off Tuesday with the first pouring of concrete in the presence of Danilo Toninelli, Italy’s infrastructure and transportation minister, is already the subject of a dispute. The new bridge has been designed by one of the city’s favorite sons, architect Renzo Piano, and a consortium of Italian contractors have pledged to complete construction in 12 months — a schedule that has drawn much skepticism. </s> The death toll of Genoa's bridge collapse has risen to 43 as rescuers confirm they found remains believed to be of a missing family.

 

 Firefighters discovered the three bodies, reported to be those of a couple and their nine-year-old daughter, early Sunday inside a car extracted from the rubble of the viaduct.

 

 All those reported missing after Tuesday's collapse have now been accounted for, although rescuers say they will continue combing the wreckage.

 

 The announcement followed the discovery Saturday of the body of a man in his 30s in the rubble and the death of another man in hospital.

 

 Italy observed a national day of mourning Saturday for the victims of the tragedy.

 

 Applause broke out at state funerals in Genoa as rescuers and members of the civil defense department arrived to take part in the service.

 

 Authorities used an exhibition center in the area of the Genoa fairgrounds as a church.

 

 Large screens were set up outside as Italians from all over the country and tourists turned out to follow the service. Many said they came out of solidarity with relatives of the victims because what happened could have happened to anyone.

 

 The archbishop of Genoa, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, presided over the solemn service. Italy's top officials and politicians, including head of state Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, attended.

But not all the families of the victims agreed to take part. Some decided to bury their dead relatives in their towns of origin, while others declined to participate in anger at having lost their loved ones in an accident that may have been caused by poor design or improper maintenance.

 

 President Sergio Mattarella, who visited the site of the disaster and the injured in the hospital before attending the service, has defined the bridge collapse as "absurd and frightening," saying the tragedy "struck not only Genoa but the whole nation."

 

 The government has set up a commission to investigate the causes of the bridge collapse. The disaster sparked a huge debate in Italy about the state of the country's infrastructure.

 

 Autostrade per l'Italia, the company that manages Italy's highway system, held a news conference Saturday in Genoa, maintaining it has always acted responsibly as the operator of the toll road. CEO Giovanni Castellucci said it was premature to respond to the government's plans to revoke the company's concession, but said his company could build a new bridge in eight months.

 

 The Morandi viaduct dates from the 1960s and has been riddled with structural problems for decades, leading to expensive maintenance and criticism from engineering experts. </s> The two remaining towers of the motorway bridge in the Italian city Genoa that collapsed nearly a year ago killing 43 people were demolished on Friday to make way for a new structure, authorities said

Genoa, Italy, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - APP - 28th Jun, 2019 ) :The two remaining towers of the motorway bridge in the Italian city Genoa that collapsed nearly a year ago killing 43 people were demolished on Friday to make way for a new structure, authorities said.

The remains of the 4,500-tonne Morandi bridge were detonated at 9:37 am (0737 GMT) and took just seven seconds to collapse in a cloud of dust, city authorities said.

Nearly 4,000 residents had been evacuated ahead of the demolition, and water tanks were placed around the towers to prevent the spread of dust.

Some 400 security forces were also deployed to the area. </s> A large section of the Morandi viaduct upon which the A10 motorway runs collapsed in Genoa, Italy. </s> Rescuers at work amid the rubble after a highway bridge collapsed in Genoa, Italy. A large section of the Morandi viaduct upon which the A10 motorway runs collapsed in Genoa on Tuesday. Several people have died, rescue sources said. Several vehicles were crushed under the rubble with dead people inside, the sources said.

A huge stretch of a highway bridge collapsed during a sudden storm in northwestern Italy on Tuesday, crushing vehicles. Authorities said that about 10 vehicles were involved.

The section of the Morandi bridge in the port city of Genoa collapsed amid torrential rain, Italy’s Ansa news agency reported. Italian media reported that deaths occurred, but a local police officer said the number of victims wasn't known.

Private broadcaster Sky TG24 reported that the 200-meter (660-foot) section fell over an industrial zone. Firefighters told The Associated Press there are concerns about gas lines.

Video captured the sound of a man screaming: "Oh god, oh, god." Other images showed a green truck that had stopped on the bridge yards short of a gaping hole.

At least two people were pulled out of the rubble alive and have been taken to the hospital, Ansa reported.

The 330-foot tall bridge was built in the 1960s, the BBC reported. It runs over homes, shopping centers, factories, a railway line and a river, according to Ansa.
Demolition experts implode the Ponte Morandi viaduct in Genoa, Italy, ten months after a partial collapse that killed 43 people.