Less than two years after a disastrous bridge collapse that killed 43 people and cut highway access across Genoa, a high-tech replacement bridge is scheduled to open to the public Monday.
The collapse of the Morandi Bridge, known for years to be in poor condition, has led to an investigation with scores of targets, from engineers to government ministers and especially to the company that has had a contract to manage Italy’s high-speed highway system, a company tied to the Benetton clothing family. The company has now been forced to surrender that contract.
The new bridge is an impressive collaboration between one of Italy’s best-known ‘starchitects,’ Renzo Piano and some blue-ribbon construction companies, including Italferr, the nation’s largest steel fabricator; Salini, Italy’s largest construction company, and Fincantieri, the Italy-based shipbuilder that makes most of the world’s cruise ships.
The rapid construction and cooperation among companies is unusual for Italy, and some hope it will be a model for future projects as Italy upgrades its poorly-maintained infrastructure.
The new bridge comes complete with self-sufficient energy drawn from solar panels, a dehumidification system to help reduce corrosion, and maintenance robots constantly patrolling the bridge to report any weathering, erosion or other problems.
