PerGenova, a joint venture between Salini Impregilo and Fincantieri, is building the new structure over the Polcevera River to replace the original bridge, which collapsed in August 2018, killing 43 people.
The reinforced concrete piers each rise 40m. Taking into account the length both above and below ground, the piers together have a combined height of 1,500m, the equivalent of two Burj Khalifa skyscrapers.
Above ground, they all have an elliptical shape with the same maximum dimensions of 9.5m by 4m to give a uniform appearance and to enable the use of the same type of external formwork for every pier.
Ten of the sections of the deck that will rest on the piers have been installed so far; the current deck length of 550m is more than half of its eventual 1,067m length.
“This is a unique project from a number of vantage points: there is the innovation and sustainability aspect, the speed at which the bridge is being built, the close public interest and the pressure that comes with it, the attention to quality and safety, and, obviously, the very reason for the bridge to come into existence,” Pietro Salini, chief executive of Salini Impregilo, said at the event. “It is for all of these reasons that I want to thank the tradesmen, the engineers and the workers that took part in this effort. They are our heroes.”
He added: “Building this project is like wearing the country’s colours. There are millions of people who are cheering and encouraging us on. They want to see us succeed in meeting this challenge that we have set for ourselves in the name of our country. And this is the greatest satisfaction that we derive from our work. But I assure you that this project for Genoa is not a miracle: it is product of the uncelebrated expertise of great Italian companies.”
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