ARCUS Atlas record
Bridge over Adda river
Total collapse of a cycle-pedestrian bridge over the Adda river at Pizzighettone (Cremona, Lombardy) on 30 October 2018, caused by the extreme flooding of the Adda river during the Tempesta Vaia event and its downstream hydrological consequences. The Adda reached exceptionally high levels as snowmelt and intense rainfall from the Alpine catchment propagated downstream. The cycle-pedestrian bridge, which connected the historic walled town of Pizzighettone across the river, was swept away by the floodwaters. No fatalities or injuries were reported. Per almeno due giorni un'enorme massa di alberi, tronchi e ramaglie trasportata dalla piena dell'Adda si accumulo' sotto i piloni della passerella; il 30/10/2018 alle 8:35 la pressione dell''isola galleggiante' di detriti fece cedere le pile centrali (fonti locali e AIPo). [Il database Polimi (D'Angelo et al. 2025, S3, record P096, dec=1) classifica invece il processo come: carico idraulico sulla struttura.]
- ARCUS ID
- IT18.10.06
- Date
- 2018-10-30
- Municipality
- Pizzighettone
- Province
- Cremona
- Region
- Lombardia
- Coordinates
- 45.1869, 9.7792 · exact location
- Crossing
- Adda river
- Use
- Cycle-pedestrian
- Severity
- TC
- Structural type
- Beam bridge
- Material
- Steel
- Cause category
- Natural
- Specific cause
- Hydraulic
- Failure trigger
- Flood
- Failure process
- Debris accumulation / obstruction
- Component involved
- Pier / foundation
- Cause evidence
- Documented
- Source confidence
- High
- Victims
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
Documentary sources (3)
- Crollato il ponte pedonale di Pizzighettone sull'Adda: a cedere i piloni centrali (Official/Technical · La Provincia di Cremona · 2018-10-30)
- Tempesta Vaia 2018: analisi dell'evento estremo e danni a infrastrutture (News · Geopop · 2026-01-28)
- Quattro anni fa la tempesta Vaia, ponti danneggiati e devastazioni in Trentino (News · L'Adige · 2022-10-28)