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Demolition experts have blown up what remains of the Morandi bridge in the Italian city of Genoa nearly a year after the structure collapsed.

Thousands of people were evacuated ahead of explosions to bring down two large towers consisting of about 4,500 tonnes of concrete and steel.

Forty-three people were killed when part of the bridge, and cars travelling along it, fell 45m (148ft) last August.

Read more: Genoa bridge towers blown up as thousands evacuated </s> A series of controlled explosions have seen the remains of a collapsed viaduct in northern Italy go up in a puff of dust, clearing the city of a painful reminder of the tragic collapse that killed 43 people.

The two towers of the 1.2 kilometer-long Morandi motorway bridge in the northern Italian port town of Genoa were brought down in only six seconds.

The footage of the controlled demolition shows cannons shooting water over the steel and concrete structure the moment the explosives went off to prevent the dust clouds from covering the city. The demolition was followed by applause from those who flocked to witness authorities finally wiping the tragic reminder away from Genoa’s conscience.

The bridge used to connect the city with southern France. A section of it collapsed in August 2018 due to heavy rain. The collapse sent dozens of cars tumbling some 50 metres to the ground. Dozens died in the tragedy and many more were injured. It also made access to Genoa’s busy sea port rather more difficult, with travelers having to spend hours on a detour since the collapse.

Earlier this week Italy’s Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli laid the first stone of a new viaduct that will replace the now-demolished one. </s> Rome [Italy], June 29 (ANI): The two remaining towers of Morandi Bridge in central Genoa were blown up in a controlled explosion on Friday, nearly a year after the structure collapsed in a disaster killing 43 people.

Demolition experts brought down the two remaining towers of the highway bridge in dramatic fashion just after 9:30 a.m. (local time), preparing for reconstruction of the grim structure, CNN reported.

Authorities here at the dawn on Friday, evacuated around 3,500 residents in the area to avoid potential contamination, The New York Times reported.

"To my knowledge, it is the first time that this kind of work has been done in so little time and in a city centre, at least in Italy," said Vittorio Omini, a demolition expert.

The lethal collapse last year in August became subject of a criminal inquiry. Nearly 600 people, residing close to the bridge, lost their homes in the collapse and were relocated with the financial support of 'Autostrade per l'Italia' (Highways for Italy), the private company that operated the bridge.

"We couldn't wait for this day to come," said Yosanda Lala, a co-owner of a pizzeria near the so-called red zone, the blocks of apartment buildings adjacent to the bridge, many of which have been partly demolished.

He said, "We can't even deliver our pizza to the customers on the other side of the river," adding, "It takes over an hour to get there."

Residents and shopkeepers told The New York Times that the demolition would be just the first step in a long process of returning to normalcy.

Friday's explosion was attended by Italy's Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini. Residents and shopkeepers said the demolition would be just the first step in a long process of returning to normalcy.

Built in the 1960s, the Morandi Bridge was a vital link of the A10 highway that connects northwestern Italy to France, across the Polcevera river in central Genoa. It was one of the busiest bridges in the country, carrying freight and tourists to and from the port city. (ANI) </s> Demolition experts brought down the two remaining towers of the highway bridge in dramatic fashion just after 9:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. ET), making way for a new structure to be built on the site.

4,000 people were evacuated from their homes to clear the area, AFP reported, and explosives were attached to the legs and body of the bridge, which went down in about seven seconds in a flurry of smoke.

Water tanks were on hand to prevent the spread of dust after the explosion.

Italy's Interior Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, attended the explosion, and crowds of locals watched from a safe distance.

For 10 months, the remains of the structure have stood awkwardly on the outskirts of Italy's sixth-largest city, a painful reminder of tragedy for thousands of its residents. The concrete viaduct collapsed in torrential rain in August 2018 after its cable stays gave way, throwing vehicles to the ground and killing scores of travelers. A picture taken on August 14, 2018 after the bridge collapsed. The incident shocked Italy and prompted a fierce debate about the safety of the country's infrastructure. Built in the 1960s, the Morandi Bridge was a vital link of the A10 highway that connects northwestern Italy to France, across the Polcevera river in central Genoa. It was one of the busiest bridges in the country, carrying freight and tourists to and from the port city. </s> Dust rises as the remaining spans of the Morandi bridge are demolished in today's planned expolosion, Source: LUCA ZENNARO/PA Images

THE TWO REMAINING towers of the motorway bridge in the Italian city Genoa that collapsed nearly a year ago killing 43 people has been demolished to make way for a new structure.

The remains of the 4,500-tonne Morandi bridge were detonated at 9:37 am and took just seven seconds to collapse in a cloud of dust.

Nearly 4,000 residents had been evacuated ahead of the demolition, and water tanks were placed around the towers to prevent the spread of dust.

Some 400 security forces were also deployed to the area.

Locals and officials including Deputy Prime Ministers Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio witnessed the blast.

The pair had spent several days at the site when it collapsed in bad weather on 14 August 2018.

The disaster threw the spotlight on Italy’s creaking infrastructure. Salvini suggested EU budget spending demands from Brussels had limited Italy’s ability to maintain it.

The dismantling of the bridge’s remains started in February.

Ahead of the demolition, residents expressed relief that the eyesore would finally be gone but were also concerned about the possible consequences of the detonation.

The bridge ”is high, it is big, it is full of iron, it is super heavy… I don’t know what will happen when it falls. Apart from the dust it will cause, I am worried about the impact,” local Francesco Russo said yesterday.

With the demolition over, officials are now waiting for the arrival of a ship transporting the first parts of a new bridge, the construction of which is scheduled to begin next year.

The government has promised that the new steel and concrete motorway bridge, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, will be open for traffic in April 2020. </s> SIENA, Italy — The two remaining towers of a highway bridge in central Genoa that collapsed last year, killing 43 people, were demolished on Friday, clearing the city’s skyline of a grim landmark and preparing for the reconstruction of a vital urban transport link.

The sound of three low, ominous sirens broadcast on national television preceded the detonation.

Experts set a series of controlled explosions that in less than a minute brought down the nearly 300-foot-tall concrete towers that supported the 1960s structure, known as the Morandi Bridge for its designer, the famed engineer Riccardo Morandi. Its collapse last Aug. 14 has become the subject of a criminal inquiry, as well as a symbol of Italy’s failure to maintain its aging infrastructure and of shortcomings in how it has privatized roadways.

More than 1,300 pounds of explosives were mostly packed into the towers’ pylons. Demolition experts had prepared the site by creating lagoons to keep enormous clouds of concrete dust from spreading across the neighborhood.

The top politicians in Italy’s populist government — vice prime ministers Matteo Salvini of the League and Luigi Di Maio of the Five Star Movement — did not miss the chance to be part of the day. They both viewed the momentous demolition from another bridge near the site, surrounded by a swarm of local politicians and authorities. </s> REPORTS have indicated that 35 people have died following the collapse of part of a motorway bridge in Genoa, Italy.

The 1km-long Morandi Bridge, part of the A10 motorway, collapsed just before noon during adverse weather.

The Italian news agency ANSA reports that the death toll is up to 35.

The latest update from state police is that at least 20 people have dead with 14 wounded, although they are unable to confirm if that is the total number of fatalities.

Around 200 firefighters are currently at the scene as rescue efforts continue.

Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli tweeted to say he was following the developments but feared it would develop into an ‘immense tragedy’.

The Dipartimento della Protezione Civile (Civil Protection Department) a national body that deals with exceptional events, has despatched a team to Genoa.

The bridge passes over the Polcevera River and is located between the districts of Sampierdarena and Cornigliano.

Restructuring work on the bridge, which was constructed in the 1960s, was carried out in 2016. </s> Genoa Bridge Is Demolished, Erasing An Artifact Of Deadly Collapse

Nearly a year after a long stretch of the Morandi bridge collapsed in Genoa, Italy, a demolition team blew up the structure's remaining pylons Friday morning in a spectacular sight that local leaders say will help the city heal.

The collapse last August killed 43 people. Since then, the bridge that was once an icon of the city has served mainly as a reminder of the tragedy.

Ahead of the demolition, several thousand residents were evacuated from nearby apartment buildings and officials gathered under clear, sunny skies for a ceremony to mark the bridge's destruction.

The explosions shot spikes of dust and rubble high into the air. As charges detonated along the bridge's remaining span, blasts buckled the mammoth concrete pylons, quickly sending the whole structure crashing down and covering it with a shroud of dust.

On the ground, hydrants had been opened to spray water to try to reduce the amount of dust in the air, according to Italy's La Repubblica newspaper.

"The demolition of the east stump of Ponte Morandi has symbolic value," the Liguria regional President Giovanni Toti said. "It means that this skyline that reminds us every day of the tragedy of 14 August will no longer be there and that Genoa enters its future."

It was a sign, Toti said, that Genoa is overcoming the devastating effects of the bridge collapse.

The bridge was a vital connection in Genoa, carrying the A10 highway that emerges from a long mountain tunnel in the west and runs to the port city on the Mediterranean. The roadway is a key link between France and Italy — and it was particularly busy last August, when travelers were using it to reach holiday destinations.

Spanning a dry riverbed, railroad tracks and industrial areas, the Morandi bridge was built in the 1960s. Investigators believe poor maintenance or engineering flaws may have caused it to fail. The viaduct's steel rods were found to have badly deteriorated in the seaside air.

Genoa plans to rebuild the bridge with the help of star architect Renzo Piano — a native of the city who has waived his normally steep fee to help his hometown rebuild. When Mayor Marco Bucci announced last December, he said construction would likely take 12 months.

The design for the new bridge echoes nautical elements, with pillars that are curved like a ship's bow. Its key focal point are 43 sail-like posts, to commemorate those who lost their lives when the old bridge gave way. </s> Part of a motorway viaduct in the northwestern Italian city of Genoa collapsed on Tuesday, the local fire brigade said, adding that several cars could have been involved in the accident.

Italian news agency Adnkronos, citing local ambulance services, reported that there were "dozens of dead" in the collapse.

What we know so far:
• Some 200 meters (656 feet) of road from Morandi Bridge collapsed onto an industrial zone in the port city at around 11:30 a.m. local time (0930 UTC).
• Rescue operations are underway to remove the rubble.
• Local police said the bridge collapsed during a severe downpour and violent storm.
• A bridge was constructed in 1960s as part of the A10 toll motorway. Restructuring was carried out in 2016.
• Authorities had no information regarding the number of potential victims.

Italy's Transport Minister Danilo Toninelli said the bridge collapse looked like an "immense tragedy."

Franco Nativo, a local journalist on the scene, told Italian broadcaster SkyTG24 that he could see "at least eight to nine" vehicles crushed under the rubble from the bridge. "It is an apocalyptic scene," Nativo added.
Demolition experts implode the Ponte Morandi viaduct in Genoa, Italy, ten months after a partial collapse that killed 43 people.