Ex-CEO of Italian motorway sentenced to 12 years for Genoa bridge collapse

A court in Genoa delivered verdicts on Thursday in the first trial stemming from the collapse of the Morandi bridge on August 14, 2018, an event that claimed 43 lives and ranks among Italy's most significant infrastructure failures. Giovanni Castellucci, former chief executive of Atlantia, the country's primary highway operator, was found guilty of vehicular homicide and negligence. The bridge had been operated by Autostrade per l'Italia, Atlantia's motorway subsidiary, which faced intense scrutiny following the disaster. Castellucci, who was not present for the verdict as he is currently serving a separate six-year sentence for a 2013 viaduct incident, received a 12-year prison term. Two other senior figures also faced conviction: Michele Donferri Mitelli, former head of maintenance at Autostrade, received 11 years, while Antonino Galata, former CEO of engineering firm SPEA, was sentenced to five years and six months. Across the broader trial involving 57 defendants—including company executives, engineers, and transport ministry officials—32 individuals were convicted with sentences ranging from one year and 11 months to 12 years. The remaining defendants were either acquitted or had their lesser charges expire under statute of limitations. The 1,182-metre bridge, inaugurated in 1967 and designed by architect Riccardo Morandi, had been subject to expert warnings about structural deterioration since the turn of the century, yet necessary repairs were never undertaken. Prosecutors characterized the aging structure as a "ticking time bomb" and argued that inadequate maintenance, disregarded warning signs, and postponed safety work—undertaken while profits continued to be distributed—contributed to the collapse. A 50-metre section of the bridge fell, carrying approximately 35 vehicles onto warehouses and a riverbed below. Autostrade's current CEO, Arrigo Giana, issued a statement apologizing to victims' families and the Italian public, acknowledging the suffering caused by the disaster.