Overview
- The tribunal in Genoa delivered its long-awaited verdict on Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 14:00 local time after a four-year trial that heard 283 sessions under a tent in the court courtyard.
- Thirty-two of the 57 defendants were convicted and given prison terms that reach up to 12 years, with former Autostrade chief Giovanni Castellucci receiving the longest sentence for negligence and involuntary homicide.
- Prosecutors had argued the collapse resulted from insufficient maintenance, saying pillar 9 never received planned reinforcement works and that known cable fragility made the viaduct a ‘ticking time bomb’.
- Defense lawyers said the collapse was caused by construction defects and internal corrosion of the bridge’s cables rather than a primary failure of maintenance, a point the court heard throughout the trial.
- Autostrade and its maintenance arm avoided corporate prosecution through an earlier agreement with prosecutors, leaving the verdict to determine individual liability and to shape possible changes to how Italy enforces road safety and concession oversight.