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Collapsed Bridge That Killed 43 People Is Demolished With Spectacular Planned Explosion

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Engineers demolished a bridge in Genoa, Italy, that collapsed in 2018, killing 43 people, in a spectacular explosion Friday that destroyed the bridge’s remaining pillars.

Authorities evacuated 3,500 residents as a precaution before the Morandi Bridge was blown up Friday morning, collapsing in a gigantic cloud of dust as debris fell into the riverbed below, according to The Associated Press.

The demolition removes a critical passage between a highway linking the port cities of Genoa and Milan and a high-speed highway leading to the French Riviera. (RELATED: The Tappan Zee Bridge Was Blown Up This Week. Watch The Awesome Footage)

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The bridge was the site of tragedy in August 2018 when a stretch of the bridge collapsed in heavy rains, dropping cars more than 160 feet down and killing 43 people, according to The Daily Mail.

While accusations have been made against the operator for the bridge’s maintenance, the investigation into the accident is ongoing and no conclusions have been made yet.

After the collapse, residents were forced to evacuate homes directly underneath the bridge spans for safety reasons. The bridge’s reconstruction also eliminates many of the apartment buildings previously below the structure.

Genoa resident architect Renzo Piano designed the new bridge. It is slated to be finished by mid-2020.

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