Genoa bridge projects being considered

(ANSA) - Genoa, November 28 - A team set up by the reconstruction commissioner of the collapsed Morandi bridge in Genoa is examining projects by a number of top architects including Renzo Piano and Santiago Calatrava.
    The team is hard at work at the municipality's Matitone building, although its work was briefly interrupted on Tuesday by a false fire alarm.
    The seven-member team includes university professors, engineers, architects, professionals and one top city officials.
    All members are independent from the companies competing to participate in reconstruction work and are providing their expertise for free, officials said.
    The projects being screened by the group are "more than 10, less than 20", said Genoa mayor and reconstruction commissioner, Marco Bucci.
    "I haven't seen them yet and I will not see them until the team will present a detailed report, based on which we will choose".
    Time is running short, he said.
    "The week of December 3 will be for negotiations" with perspective constructors, continued Bucci.
    "Obviously, we start with a project but it does not necessarily mean that we end up with that, it's possible that we then move on to another - that's what negotiations are about".
    The objective is to start working on the new bridge in mid-December, the mayor noted.
    It is possible that top contenders will include world-renowned architects.
    The plan proposed by the group Salini Impregilo Fincantieri is inspired by the project of Genoa native and star architect Renzo Piano while the Cimolai group has reportedly involved Spain's Santiago Calatrava for its proposed project.
    The report appears to be confirmed by the fact that Cimolai's model for the project was sent from Zurich, where Calatrava is based.
    Consumers' group Codacons has also presented a project which provides for the use of parts of the viaduct that are still standing after its collapse on August 14, a disaster that claimed 43 lives.
    The association would like to rebuilt only the 200-meter-long part of the bridge that collapsed.
    Codacons said it would be "a new bridge dedicated to the victims of the tragedy that could be built quickly, with less economic resources fromthe State and fewer technical difficulties than the total demolition".
    Meanwhile the CEO of Autostrade Giovanni Castellucci was supposed to be questioned by prosecutors Massimo Terrile and Walter Cotugno on Wednesday as part of the probe into the collapse.
    However the manager declined to answer to the magistrates' questions and instead made a statement during an hour-long meeting, judicial sources said.
    Castellucci is among 21 people who are under investigation in relation to the collapse of the Morandi bridge.
    Several transport ministry officials are also being probed.
    The probe is into alleged multiple culpable homicide, culpable disaster, culpable road homicide and attack against security transport, among other charges.