The Genoa Saint George Bridge is a motorway viaduct that crosses the Polcevera river in the city of Genoa. It was designed by architect Renzo Piano. The bridge replaces the Ponte Morandi, which partially collapsed on 14 August 2018 and was demolished in June 2019.
© Renzo Piano
After the collapse of Genoa’s Ponte Morandi in August 2018, an independent report indicated poor maintenance and flaws in the design and construction of the bridge as the likely causes behind the deadly accident. Corrosion of the cables on the top of the southern stay of one of the towers was cited as the main culprit.
©Andrea Botto / RINA
Also, regular inspections were said to be insufficient to allow for an adequate level of knowledge on the effective state of degradation of the cables.
Built as a mixed steel-concrete structure, it is 1,067 metres long and consists of 19 spans supported by 18 elliptical section reinforced concrete stacks with a constant shape.
© Renzo Piano
During fifteen months of construction workers persevered through extraordinary events such as the COVID-19 pandemic to complete the Genova San Giorgio Bridge across the Polcevera riverbed and return to the city a strategic piece of its road network that supports an average of 43,200 vehicle journeys a day. On 21 July 2020, the mayor of Genoa made official the name of the bridge and its opening on the 4th of August 2020.
©Andrea Botto / RINA
About the Author:
Bruno Dursin – Managing Director at Believe in Steel. Bruno has more than 30 years of experience in promoting steel & steel solutions. His clients benefit from his extensive network within the building industry.
