An Italian court in Genoa is weighing criminal sentences in the Morandi bridge collapse trial, after prosecutors requested up to 18.5 years in prison for former Atlantia CEO Giovanni Castellucci. A 2019 technical audit by Italy’s Ministry of Infrastructure found that Autostrade per l’Italia’s network included around 1,900 bridges and viaducts built before 1970 when the disaster killed 43 people on August 14, 2018.
If the Genoa court imposes a custodial sentence on Castellucci, legal commentators say it would be highly unusual for a top infrastructure executive to face prison for a bridge failure. Castellucci served as CEO of both Atlantia and its motorway subsidiary Autostrade per l’Italia when internal warnings about corrosion and cable deterioration were allegedly ignored or downplayed, according to court documents.
What makes the case striking is the scale of aging infrastructure under one concession. According to a 2019 technical audit by Italy’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Autostrade’s network included around 1,900 bridges and viaducts built before 1970, indicating a large share of the operator’s bridge stock was already around 50 years old or more at the time of the collapse.
Prosecutors Pointed to Known Risks
The court indictment cited a 2013 internal document stating that the condition of the Polcevera viaduct’s stay cables would require comprehensive intervention within a decade. Yet subsequent maintenance plans covered only partial surface work, prosecutors argued. The bridge carried not just local traffic but also long distance vehicles on European route E25, linking Genoa’s port with the French border and northern Italy.
Italy’s national road safety observatory indicates that a non-trivial share of vehicles involved in Italian motorway accidents are foreign-registered, reflecting the routine exposure of cross-border drivers, including Danes driving south for holidays, to safety risks on concession motorways.
A Renationalised Operator and Billions in Compensation
Following intense government pressure and public outcry, the Benetton-controlled Atlantia agreed to sell Autostrade to a state-backed consortium led by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, in a deal valued at about €9.1 billion and finalised in 2021 to 2022. In a 2020 settlement with the Italian state, Autostrade agreed to a package worth about €3.4 billion in compensation, investment and toll reductions, including roughly €500 to 600 million for victims and the city of Genoa, according to government decrees and company statements.
According to Eurostat data, Italy’s road infrastructure investment as a share of GDP fell between 2007 and 2017, while Denmark and Germany each spent around the mid-single-digit tenths of a percent in 2017. The figures point to a pattern of declining maintenance budgets at a time when Europe’s post-war infrastructure was entering its sixth and seventh decades of service.
Sentences Aimed at Breaking a Culture of Impunity
Victim groups such as the Committee of Morandi Victims have demanded prison terms since the disaster, arguing that fines alone fail to address negligence that kills dozens. One representative argued that any eventual prison sentences would show that human lives weigh more than dividend payments. Some Italian politicians frame the case as a turning point, shifting infrastructure policy from financial engineering back to public safety priorities.
But business associations warn that criminalising managerial decisions in complex technical fields could deter qualified professionals from senior roles. Defence lawyers argue that Italy’s inspection framework was itself outdated and ambiguous, making it unfair to single out private managers. PPP industry analysts worry the Morandi fallout may reduce investor appetite for infrastructure concessions across Europe.
What It Means for Danes Abroad and at Home
Internationals living in Denmark who drive through Italy or other EU concession countries can check official motorway operator sites for real time closures and safety updates. Comprehensive travel insurance and attention to route advisories remain sensible steps, especially on older networks. According to Danish ministry reports, authorities inspect major structures like the Great Belt and Øresund bridges under international safety standards, and domestic bridge safety risk is currently assessed as low.
The Morandi collapse prompted several European countries to review cable-stayed and concrete viaducts and fed into EU-level debates on inspection standards. France’s 2019 Senate audit identified more than 25,000 bridges in poor structural condition, while Germany committed to replace or rehabilitate numerous Autobahn crossings, according to Germany’s federal transport infrastructure plan. According to an annex to the 2020 settlement, Autostrade must carry out extraordinary inspections at least every three years on cable-stayed and similar complex structures, more frequently than Italy’s general five-year inspection cycle.
The agreement’s clauses are designed to ensure that safety-related maintenance is not postponed for profit-related reasons, according to government summaries. Whether that culture shift takes hold across concessions in EU member states will determine how safe the next generation of European road trips will be.
