Municipality of Venice no relation Grand Canal
Planning
In June 1999, the Municipality of Venice drafted a preliminary plan for a fourth bridge over the Grand Canal.  Using a public selection process, they commissioned Santiago Calatrava in November 1999 to design the new bridge.  Calatrava's response was an arched bridge with a large radius which was designed to be constructed off-site and installed entirely from the canal.
The bridge is situated at a strategic point, connecting the railway station (Stazione Santa Lucia), on the north with the Piazzale Roma (the City's arrival point by car/bus), on the south side of the Grand Canal. The bridge is important both functionally and symbolically, connecting arriving visitors to the city and welcoming them to Venice with a panoramic view of the Grand Canal.