Italy blows up remains of collapsed Genoa bridge
June 28, 2019
The remnants of Genoa's Morandi motorway bridge that collapsed nearly a year ago were demolished on Friday to make way for a new bridge, Italian authorities said.
The bridge collapsed amid bad weather on August 14, 2018, killing 43 people.
The remains of the 4,500-ton Morandi bridge were detonated at 9:37 a.m. (0737 UTC) and took just seven seconds to collapse in a cloud of dust, city authorities said.
Nearly 4,000 residents were evacuated ahead of the demolition and water tanks were placed around the towers to prevent the spread of dust. Some 400 security forces personnel were also deployed to the area.
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The dismantling of the bridge's remains started in February. With the demolition over, officials are now waiting for the arrival of a ship transporting the first parts for the new bridge. Construction is scheduled to begin next year.
The Italian government has promised that the new steel and concrete motorway bridge, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, will be open for use in April 2020.
law/ng (AFP, AP, dpa)