No Ceremony, Little Love for New Venice Canal Bridge

Posted by: Nate Berg

28 August 2008 - 8:00am

The first new bridge over Venice's Grand Canal in 70 years will open next month, but no no fanfare and without ceremony. Locals are calling off events to protest the bridge's many delays and cost overruns.

"The 94m (308ft) arching steel and glass span will link Venice’s railway station with Piazzale Roma, the car, bus and ferry terminal on the opposite side of the Grand Canal. Only the fourth bridge ever to be built over the Grand Canal and Venice’s first new bridge for 70 years, it was to have been opened on September 18 by President Napolitano."

"However members of the right-wing Alleanza Nazionale on Venice’s centre left-dominated city council said that the new bridge was 'a monument to bad administration and a waste of Venice’s money'."

"Critics of the bridge claim that the cost of the project has risen from an original estimate of €5 million (£3.9 million) to €20 million, partly because of delays and legal disputes with the construction company. The council insists that the final cost will be “around ten million” euros."

Full Story: Venice cancels opening ceremony for hated Santiago Calatrava bridge

Source: The Times, August 27, 2008