PM Giuseppe Conte pledged a new bridge symbolizing "rebirth" would be completed by April. Forty-three people died when the Morandi bridge collapsed last year.
Image: picture-alliance/Zuma/D. Gentile
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Grieving relatives and dignitaries on Wednesday remembered the 43 lives lost when the Morandi bridge in the Italian port city of Genoa collapsed one year ago.
A solemn mass and ceremony were held in a warehouse near the place where a large section of the 1.2-km (1,100-yard) motorway viaduct collapsed, sending vehicles onto railway tracks below.
The president, prime minister and other political leaders were in attendance, putting aside their political bickering back in Rome to support relatives of the victims.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte vowed to complete a new bridge in Genoa by April, despite worries that Italy's political crisis sparked by far-right leader Matteo Salvini could slow down construction.
Construction is being carried out "seven days out of seven ... and, according to forecasts, the new bridge will be accessible by April 2020," Conte said.
"We feel that the new bridge will represent a symbol of rebirth," Conte said.
Genoese architect Renzo Piano told the newspaper La Repubblica that he plans to build a luminous white bridge that will represent "three ships that rise to the sky and unite to form a single structure more than a kilometer long."
Work begins demolishing collapsed Genoa bridge
The Italian port city of Genoa has begun demolishing the Morandi Bridge after its collapse last August, which killed 43 people and injured dozens more. DW takes a look at the disaster and its aftermath.
Image: Reuters/S. Rellandini
Demolition begins
Experts have begun dismantling the remains of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa, six months after its collapse. A 40-meter section of the motorway flyover was due to be cut, lowered and destroyed – an important step with "high symbolic value" for the town, according to Genoa Mayor Marco Bucci.
Image: Reuters/S. Rellandini
Cars plunged into void
The 80-meter section of the Morandi Bridge collapsed on August 14 amid torrential downpours and violent storms. At least 35 cars and heavy vehicles are believed to have been on the section when it caved in, causing them to plunge some 45 meters.
Image: Reuters/Str
Rescuers toiled through the night
Rescue workers scoured the wreckage through the night in hopes of finding more survivors. Alongside firefighters and emergency services, some 1,000 locals volunteered to help with the rescue efforts.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/V. Hache
900-ton concrete slab
Thousands of tonnes of steel, concrete and asphalt have already been removed to prepare for the demolition, but the eight-hour operation on Friday will see a 900-ton slab cut and destroyed. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninello have traveled to Genoa to oversee the beginning of the operation.
Image: Reuters/M. Pinca
Renzo Piano replacement
Italy's most famous living architect Renzo Piano, a Genoa native widely known for the Pompidou Center in Paris, has designed the replacement bridge. It will feature 43 streetlamps in memory of the 43 killed in the collapse. At €202 million ($229 million), the bridge will be one of the most expensive in Europe. It is scheduled to open to traffic by April 2020.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/A. Leoni
'Immense tragedy'
The bridge collapse killed 43 people and injured dozens more. Italy's transport minister Danilo Toninelli described the incident as an "immense tragedy." International leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France's Emmanuel Macron, paid tribute to the victims.
Image: Reuters/S. Rellandini
Children among those killed
The morning after the collapse, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini said that three children – aged 8, 12 and 13 — were among those killed.
Image: Reuters/Str
Italy's busy motorway viaduct
The bridge over the northwestern port city was one of Italy's main viaducts, connecting the A10 motorway towards France and the A7 up to Milan. The incident also took place on the eve of Ferragosto, a major Italian holiday, meaning there was likely more traffic than usual.
Tragedy sparks political fallout
Italy's Giuseppe Conte interrupted his holiday to visit the scene of the collapse. While Conte reserved his words to praise the rescue workers, his ministers started pointing fingers. Transport Minister Toninelli said the company managing Italy's highways would have its contract revoked. However, his 5Star Movement party has been criticized for downplaying the need for infrastructure investments.
Image: Reuters/M. Pinca
Cause of collapse still unknown
While the precise reason behind the disaster is still unknown, investigators believe it could have been caused by lightning, an engineering failure or corrosion. Prosecutors have place 20 people under investigation, as well as the privately-owned highway operator Autostrade per l'Italia. The bridge had been in use for around 50 years, close to the recommended limit.
Image: Reuters/S. Rellandini
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A year later, the cause of 51-year-old structure's collapse has not been determined.
Prosecutors are investigating company officials from Atlantia for poor maintenance and possible design flaws. The infrastructure group denies any wrongdoing.
Atlantia executives planned to attend Wednesday's ceremony but were asked by the victims' relatives to stay away.
