Genoa inaugurates new bridge
Almost two years after the Ponte Morandi motorway bridge collapsed, killing 43 people and injuring hundreds more, Genoa is to inaugurate a new bridge designed by the city's star architect Renzo Piano today. Commentators join in the applause for the rapid completion of the bridge, but also take a cautionary look at the tragedy.
A gift for the Genoese
The bridge was not only built in record time, it's also beautiful to behold, writes Corriere del Ticino:
“Seen from the Via Walter Fillak under the scorching midsummer sun, the imposing 1,067 metre long concrete and steel giant with its 19 spans supported by 18 gigantic pylons looks like an abstract model hovering in the air. But today it's being prepared for its baptism. ... Two years of fast-paced labour with the participation of over a thousand technicians and workers who assembled from all over the world to bring about the project created by architect Renzo Piano to replace the Morandi Bridge, which collapsed due to lack of maintenance, are the most wonderful gift that the Genoese could hope for. Especially as it was all achieved in such a short time, despite the coronavirus emergency.”
It all started with a tragedy
On the day of the inauguration we should not forget the tragedy of two years ago, Corriere della Sera warns:
“In a country that by definition has a short memory, there is an increasing tendency to break a story down into individual moments in an attempt to highlight only the most edifying or convenient aspects. But the birth of the new bridge in Genoa is a direct result of the death of the old Morandi Bridge, which collapsed and claimed 43 lives - people who on that rainy day before Ferragosto [an Italian public holiday] were on their way to or back from work or were going on holiday. … So anyone who tells the story behind this inauguration must start with the morning of August 14, 2018.”