Venice, maybe the Calatrava Bridge will be redone: stone instead of glass

The Calatrava Bridge in Venice, the indispensable link between Piazzale Roma and the station, istoo dangerous: this is the reason that could lead the Venice City Council to redo the Constitution Bridge (this is its official name) by replacing the glass with stone steps. Glass, in fact, with rain and wet weather, and especially with ice in winter, becomes very slippery, and the risk of tumbling (with consequent claims) is very realistic. Therefore, the resurfacing of the glass slabs seems to be a reality, because the Venice City Council has put half a million in the budget for this purpose, although the positive opinion of the Superintendence will be needed before concretization (the replacement of glass with stone is actually not a new project: there was already talk in 2008, shortly after the bridge opened on September 11 of that very year, of replacing the glass, while the stone hypothesis first surfaced in 2017).

In winter, the bridge is regularly secured with non-slip strips, but the danger of falls is always very insidious. This time, however, it seems that there are finally the resources to modify the bridge (in the budget, we read in the Corriere della Sera, there is in fact the item “Replacing the Constitution Bridge pavement,” according to a plan that includes the use of trachyte instead of glass).

The bridge has generated much controversy, and not only because of its appearance. Initially, the projected costs amounted to 6.7 million euros, later increased to 11.3 million to which are also added the costs for maintenance (so much so that it has been the subject of audits by the Court of Auditors), but controversy has also subsequently arisen over access for the differently abled, the different height of the steps that force one to change the step as one goes up or down, the fragility of the glass part (as well as its slipperiness). So now it is hoped that at least the glass-related issue will finally be resolved.

Pictured is the bridge. Photo by Filippo Leonardi - Municipality of Venice

Venice, maybe the Calatrava Bridge will be redone: stone instead of glass

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