Italy does not give up. Despite the delicate moment we are experiencing, the work on the construction site of the new Genoa Bridge continues unabated: the new maxi 100-metre steel deck launched at high altitude, to replace the part of the Morandi bridge that collapsed on 14 August 2018. This was communicated by Fincantieri which, together with Salini Impregilo, has the task of building the new Genoa bridge, designed by Renzo Piano.
The section of deck that crosses the Polcevera river was hoisted on the morning of Tuesday 10 March between the ninth and tenth piers, over 40 meters high with all 14 side casings (the "wings of the bridge" which will give the structure the appearance of a ship's hull), for a total weight of 1800 tons, which bring the bridge visible on the Genoese skyline to measure over 600 meters. This is the eleventh launch, out of nineteen, in the yard in just 5 months. A non-stop work that involved 600 people, over 1000 if we also consider related industries, on numerous parallel activities: from ground assembly to operations on elevated decks for plant assembly and component grinding ancillary.
Not only did the lifting of this maxi-deck require for the size of the span, but also for the positioning astride the Polcevera river, a series of particular preparatory activities and the use of special machinery. The span was first raised with a jack-up system and then moved with remote-controlled trolleys towards the bed of the stream, following the bad weather of recent days. The span was moved to the east and then to the north, to then be lifted at about 5 meters per hour by the strand jacks installed on the piers.
In this delicate moment for the country, Giuseppe Bono CEO of Fincantieri he declared “I want to thank the workers and technicians who are giving their all to complete the bridge in record time. To each of them, on behalf of Fincantieri and myself, goes our most sincere gratitude. On this occasion – continued Bono – I also thank the workers of Fincantieri, with the promise that we will continue to adopt all the measures indicated by the Authorities to protect everyone's health”.
The last exceptional launch from 100 meters at high altitude is expected in the coming weeks. A new challenge that will require know-how and times never experienced before in our country. And it is above all in a moment like this, in which Italian citizens are losing faith, that we must not stop building, but above all fighting.
