Genoa bridge collapse

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c2R
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Genoa bridge collapse

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Currently being reported here - no real detail as yet https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45183624

Edit - if the Sun's picture is to be believed, it looks fairly bad... https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7011626/m ... t-updates/
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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c2R wrote: Tue Aug 14, 2018 11:35 Currently being reported here - no real detail as yet https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45183624

Edit - if the Sun's picture is to be believed, it looks fairly bad... https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7011626/m ... t-updates/
Video here from Twitter giving a wider view. This is spectacular:

https://twitter.com/sosemergenza/status ... 3336597506
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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It is on Sky now here

Looking at Google Earth and streetview from October 2017 it does seem major repairs were being undertaken. Sky suggests Structural Weakness, so were they strengthening it and some thing gone wrong. I cant believe there has not been serious casualties on such a main road, especially as there seems to be vehicles , lorries still visiblie on the bit that hasn't collapsed.

Lets hope there are not any serious injuries
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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roadtester wrote: Tue Aug 14, 2018 11:57
Video here from Twitter giving a wider view. This is spectacular:

https://twitter.com/sosemergenza/status ... 3336597506
They are very shocking pictures. I note the green lorry right on the edge, did they shut that part of the bridge. Truly awful sight.
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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Italy's La Repubblica https://www.repubblica.it/ has full coverage. If there are no fatalities it will be a miracle.
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Genoa Motorway Bridge Disaster

Post by AAndy »

Awful tradgedy.. some worrying scenes on the news channels.

https://news.sky.com/story/large-sectio ... a-11472413
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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A303Chris wrote: Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:11They are very shocking pictures. I note the green lorry right on the edge, did they shut that part of the bridge. Truly awful sight.
No, I think the bridge was open, and what's worse it crosses a densely populated valley, so all the debris will have fallen 100m+ on to buildings and streets. Reports are now mentioning "dozens dead". What an unspeakably awful event.
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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Chris5156 wrote: Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:29
A303Chris wrote: Tue Aug 14, 2018 12:11They are very shocking pictures. I note the green lorry right on the edge, did they shut that part of the bridge. Truly awful sight.
No, I think the bridge was open, and what's worse it crosses a densely populated valley, so all the debris will have fallen 100m+ on to buildings and streets. Reports are now mentioning "dozens dead". What an unspeakably awful event.
The La Repubblica link posted by exiled has video showing several vehicles on the ground which have obviously fallen from the bridge. They are not in good shape.
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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The GSV pictures of the bridge before the strengthening work remind me of everything I hate about Italian motorway travel - aging concrete structures, masses of traffic, and seemingly narrow carriageways.
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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One of the historical shots shows three concrete towers across the valley. It looks as if one of the complete towers has given way & the deck come crashing down with it.

Major tragedy
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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A witness on BBC said that the support tower had been hit by lightning shortly beforehand?

Awful awful awful tragedy, news of casualties coming through now.
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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At least eleven dead including a child according to La Repubblica.
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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Unfortunately 22 dead now confirmed on Sky News.

Seems a major failure, interesting to know design and implications on bridges throughout Europe.

Thoughts and prayers with everyone involved.

Conversely anyone from Sabre driven it? Was it as narrow and poor condition as google seems to show
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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A303Chris wrote: Tue Aug 14, 2018 14:18
Conversely anyone from Sabre driven it? Was it as narrow and poor condition as google seems to show
I must have done, although I don't specifically remember it, perhaps because the section is full of bridges and tunnels that all seem narrow and full of very aggressive traffic - it's on the main E80/A10 along the coast a little bit from Nice.
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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I driven to near Genoa, but not on that section. Left the A7 to take the A12 south. Simply awful for all involved.
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

Post by nirs »

Horrible thing to happen.

The BBC is calling it a suspension bridge but it looks more like a cable-stayed bridge to me? They report that the agency was working to strengthen the foundations at the time. Coupled with a lot of heavy rain, one possibility is that the foundations have weakened and failed, the tower has collapsed and then the section of deck supported by it has come down too. If that's the case there may have been structural cracks in the deck and pier in the minutes and hours before the collapse.
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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As has been said above, witnesses reported lightning hit the bridge. Looks like that could have triggered the initial failure.
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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35 dead it seems now. The Astey Highways channel on YouTube had footage of the A10 into Genoa. Worth a watch for context.
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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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Interesting chart on BBC

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Re: Genoa bridge collapse

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If a tower has collapsed that completely screws my instincts on a dodgy bridge to get/stay as close to a tower as possible and get away from the bridging sections. Horrible.
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