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Genoa's Morandi bridge demolition to begin in December

The Local Italy
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Genoa's Morandi bridge demolition to begin in December
The remains of Genoa's Morandi Bridge are still standing three months after it collapsed, killing 43. Photo: Piero Cruciatti/AFP

90 days on from the disaster, in which 43 people were killed, officials have announced a schedule for demolition and rebuilding of the bridge.

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Genoa Mayor Marco Bucci announced today that the long-awaited demolition of the remaining sections of the Morandi bridge will start on December 15, making way for a new overpass crossing the city.

"My plan foresees the start of the demolition work on December 15," Bucci, who is also the commissioner for the construction of the new viaduct, told reporters.

The bridge is still a restricted area as investigations continue, but Bucci said “the work will start as soon as the sequestering of the site (by investigators) is lifted.”

The demolition of Genoa's Morandi Bridge, which killed 43 people when it collapsed, will take just one month from start to finish, the region's governor previously said.

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Speaking at a press conference at the end of August, Governor of Liguria Giovanni Toti said that the demolition would take around 30 days.

It was initially hoped that the bridge could be demolished by the end of September. Investigators called for the urgent demolition of the bridge's remains in August, warning that supports were weakening and at high risk of collapse.

Removal will begin with the west pillar, Bucci said, and construction of the new bridge will begin there as demolition continues on the east side.

The mayor didn’t confirm speculation that the new bridge is likely to be built according to plans drawn up by world famous architect and Genoa native Renzo Piano and paid for by Autostrade di Italia.

Several different plans for a new bridge have been discussed, and a tunnel was also suggested.

In the meantime, the city's traffic has had to be completely reorganised since the vital traffic artery collapsed. There are a few jams but fears of a paralysed city have not materialised.

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