The bridge connecting Via Ostiense in Garbatella with the Ostiense ringroad will open to traffic on Friday 22 June from 10.00.
Situated near the Garbatella underground station, the €15 million Cavalcaferrovia Ostiense will make it easier for commuters to get from Garbatella to Ostiense.
Locals have already nicknamed it the "Cobra" thanks to the bridge's interconnecting white steel arches which are reminiscent of the gasometro landmark in the distance. The structure is 240m in length, of which 125m is suspended, and it has taken three years to build. For more details see Building bridges in Rome
Designed by engineer Francesco Del Tosto from the Rome-based engineering company Solidus, since 2009 the designs have been modified as frequently as the ever-postponed completion date.
Despite original plans to incorporate two lanes dedicated to public transport, none of the city's buses will cross the finished bridge due to access difficulties. Instead Rome's bus company ATAC (incidentally on strike on the day of the bridge’s opening) will continue its current route along Via Benzoni and Via Matteucci.
The bridge will be illuminated with environmentally-friendly LED lights and Del Tosto says that the cutting-edge technology used in the design will allow the structure to absorb earthquakes.
There are plans to incorporate cycling paths but these will be at the same level as the traffic and will be separated only by painted lines and reflectors.
Wanted in Rome
