The remains of the Morandi bridge in Genoa, Italy, have been demolished, almost one year after a portion of the bridge collapsed and killed 43 people.
The controlled explosion brought down two 90-metre-tall towers, consisting of 4500 tonnes of concrete and steel. Water tanks and water cannons were placed around the towers to create a wall of water, preventing the spread of dust.
Nearly 4000 residents were evacuated ahead of the demolition, and roads within 300 metres of the bridge were closed.
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A 200-metre-long section of the road bridge collapsed on 14 August 2018, falling onto a densely-populated area. Six hundred people were left homeless by the disaster.
Criminal inquiry
The bridge鈥檚 collapse is the subject of a criminal inquiry, with employees of Autostrade, the company that managed the bridge, and the ministry of infrastructure and transport among those under investigation.
Built in the 1960s, the bridge was supported by steel cables covered in prestressed concrete. It had only four cables per tower, compared with dozens in other bridges of a similar design.
The concrete coat was supposed to protect the cables from the elements, but it made them difficult to inspect.
In 1979, the bridge鈥檚 designer, Riccardo Morandi, noted that the structure was ageing faster than expected, and recommended actions to protect it from pollution and salty sea air. However, little was done.
By 1992, the concrete cables were heavily corroded. Autostrade added new cables around the corroded ones, rather than replacing them. Early in 2018, Autostrade issued a tender offer to retrofit the bridge, and repairs were due to start in autumn 2019.
The Italian government said a new bridge will open for traffic in April 2020.
