A great work, a symbol of Italy’s rebirth

The new Genova San Giorgio Bridge is an essential junction to connect with France, the port and in general with the surrounding areas: An essential element to restore Genoa's role as a major port and commercial city and to give a new impulse to the mobility and connections of Liguria and the country . An impressive, modern and sustainable infrastructure completed in record time thanks to a construction site that has never stopped, always active 7 days a week for 24 hours a day. 12 months for the construction of the new bridge, starting from the delivery of the areas and 1,000 people involved in the construction site in the design and construction activities to return to Genoa a strategic work for the mobility and occupation of the city and the Ligurian territory.

Respect for and adoption of the most rigorous safety measures has allowed the construction site to continue working without interruption, even during the Coronavirus crisis, to overcome the complex engineering challenge of rebuilding the new work for the city of Genoa in only 12 months.

The new bridge is a majestic work with an innovative design inspired by sustainability criteria and engineering excellence, perfectly integrated with the surrounding area: the bridge recalls the bow of a ship in harmony with Val Polcevera. A complex and avant-garde design, to guarantee safety and solidity of the infrastructure over time, relaunching the competitiveness of the local and national economic system.

An overview of an iconic project for Genoa and Italy

The new bridge has a continuous steel deck measuring 1067 metres totally, with 19 spans and it is supported by 18 elliptical-section, constant-shape reinforced concrete Piers.

The external dimensions of the Piers (9.50 x 4.00 metres) are the same for both the 50 and 100 metre spans, in order to guarantee the uniformity of the perspective of the work and the speed of construction, thanks to the use of a single type of external formwork.

The geometry of the ellipse, with no sharp corners, allows the light to “slide” on the surface, therefore mitigating the visual impact and the presence in the urban context of the new Piers. The articulation of the Piers is the result of an architectural choice aimed at using more frequent but slim elements that fits better into the urban fabric.

The deck, made of a mixed steel-concrete structure, lays on these Piers. The steel part of the deck si made up of three transversal segments, so as to make the construction and assembly of several spans in sequence simple and quick. The internal structure, composed of steel diaphragms, allows the optimization of the performance of the materials themselves, in relation to both the speed of construction and the assembly of the parts. The deck is completed by the slab, made with prefabricated elements in reinforced concrete and subsequent finishing casting.

The shape of the deck recalls the hull of a ship, and the gradual reduction of the section towards the ends of the bridge attenuates the visual impact. The use of a light colour for the painting of the steel elements makes the bridge bright, harmonising its presence within the landscape.

A smart and sustainable bridge

The new Genova San Giorgio Bridge is an imposing infrastructure, but also modern and sustainable.

The bridge is equipped with solar panels that make it self-sufficient in electricity. Inside, dehumidifiers will prevent corrosion. This high level of innovation will also extend to the centralised system that will monitor the safety and soundness of the structure with the help of robots, which will conduct inspections and provide regular maintenance.