Animations released this week by the reconstruction commissioner’s office give a hint of how a concrete bridge that collapsed in August killing 43 people in the port city of Genoa will be demolished and rebuilt.
The videos and images, showed phases of the demolition and reconstruction works as planned by Italy’s biggest builder Salini Impregilo and shipbuilder Fincantieri who have won the contract to rebuild it.
According to Marco Bucci, mayor of Genoa and special commissioner appointed by the government to oversee the reconstruction, the operation will cost 202 million euros ($230 million) – excluding value added tax – and be completed in 12 months.
The collapse of the bridge on Aug. 14 severed part of a motorway linking Genoa with southern France, putting at risk the activity of the city port, which last year accounted for 1.5 percent of Italy’s gross domestic product. The government blamed Autostrade for the disaster and decided to exclude the business from the reconstruction project, even though it will have to pay for it.
Autostrade and some of its top managers are under investigation for the collapse. Atlantia, controlled by the Benetton family, has put aside 350 million euros to cover the estimated cost of rebuilding.
