Why Italy’s Genoa bridge collapse led to one of its biggest criminal trials

Nearly eight years after the Morandi bridge catastrophe claimed 43 lives, judges in Genoa are issuing a verdict in the first significant criminal trial stemming from the disaster. The 1,182-metre structure, inaugurated in 1967 and designed by architect Riccardo Morandi, had earned the nickname Italy's "Brooklyn Bridge." Despite undergoing major reinforcement in the 1990s and receiving continued expert warnings about deterioration, critical repairs were never executed.

On August 14, 2018, a central section of the bridge collapsed during heavy rainfall, crumbling approximately 45 metres to the ground. About 30 vehicles were on the section at the time, and the crossing served as a crucial highway between Italy and France as well as a vital route for nearby port terminals. Local authorities declared a 12-month state of emergency and allocated 5 million euros to rescue efforts.

Investigations revealed that the collapse was triggered by rupture of load-bearing cables within the ninth pillar's stay, which had corroded over the bridge's 51-year lifespan due to a highly corrosive atmosphere. Prosecutors alleged that the collapse resulted from years of missed, inadequate, or falsified maintenance designed to delay necessary repairs while officials continued distributing dividends to shareholders. According to transport economics professor Enrico Musso at the University of Genoa, the bridge was also bearing traffic volumes it was not designed to accommodate, with 50,000 to 60,000 vehicles crossing daily.

Defence lawyers have countered that an original construction flaw at the top of stay cable number nine caused the collapse—a defect they claim was impossible to detect and could not have been prevented through maintenance. The victims included 43 people, predominantly Italian citizens alongside French, Albanian, and Chilean nationals. Dozens of defendants face numerous charges as families await the court's decision.