ASPI Genoa bridge failings 'unacceptable

(ANSA) - Rome, November 22 - Alleged failings by motorway company ASPI ahead of the August 2018 Genoa bridge collapse that killed 43 people are "unacceptable", Transport and Infrastructure Minister Paola De Micheli told an ANSA Forum Friday.
    It emerged this week that the risk of collapse was flagged as early as 2014, allegedly false reports were filed, and sensors that could have detected a risk of collapse were put out of commission in 2015 after being sliced through during maintenance work.
    "In the last few hours things have emerged which are unacceptable for me, because the issue of safety is fundamental for us," De Micheli said.
    ASPI is controlled by motorway group Atlantia, which recently pulled out of the Alitalia rescue allegedly because it could not secure promises that its motorway concessions would be renewed.
    On the concessions, De Micheli said "technical talks are in course".
    The leader of the senior government partner, the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S), Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, has vowed that Atlantia, and therefore ASPI, will "never" get their concessions renewed.
    ASPI allegedly knew as early as 2014 that the Morandi Bridge was not safe and should have been shored up or demolished, an Italian newspaper reported earlier this week.
    So far ASPI managers have told investigators that no report from motorway risk monitoring company SPEA had flagged up any alarm on the Morandi Bridge.
    But now a document taken from Atlantia's digital archive has been seized by finance police investigators, La Repubblica daily said Wednesday.
    That risk-programming document, drafted by ASPI's risk office, was allegedly seen by successive board meetings of both ASPI and Atlantia.
    In it, the Morandi Bridge was said to be at risk of collapse from 2014 to 2016, Le Repubblica said, while from 2017 the assessment was changed "risk of losing stability".
    ASPI responded to the report Wednesday night saying that "instructions from the Board to the operational structures is to always safeguard and manage (risks) with the utmost rigour, adopting all preventive measures deemed opportune".
    Transport and Infrastructure Minister Paolo De Micheli said Thursday that "anyone who has a public role (in infrastructure care) must pay".
    She said "anyone who has a bridge in their care is not doing a routine job".
    De Micheli said that ASPI's reaction to another report, on the presence of a transport ministry official at an ASPI meeting that allegedly discussed the Morandi Bridge collapse risk in 2015, was "unacceptable and incomprehensible". ASPI allegedly said that the risk was "only theoretical".
    In light of the alarm allegedly ignored by Atlantia in the case, anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader and Foreign Minister Luigi DI Maio said Thursday "we will continue our battle to strip (Atlantia) of its motorway concession." Atlantia has reportedly made keeping the motorway concessions a condition for its taking part in the rescue of troubled Italian former flag carrier Alitalia, an operation that has now been postponed for the eighth time after doubts from Lufthansa and a less-than-expected investment from Delta.
    A new bridge is being built in Genoa, designed by local starchitect Renzo Piano, featuring sail-like structures to reflect the city's maritime heritage.
    It is expected to be ready next year.
    Also on Thursday, it was reported that sensors on the Morandi Bridge used for gauging risks to the structure had been KO since 2015, when they were sliced during maintenance work.