ARCUS Atlas record
Viadotto Verdura
Total collapse of a portion of the Viadotto Verdura on the SS115 Sud Occidentale Sicula national road near Ribera (Agrigento, Sicily) on 2 February 2013, triggered by a landslide caused by exceptional rainfall that had saturated the slope adjacent to a bridge pillar. The structure, built in the 1960s and found to be compliant with regulations of the time, had no prior recorded structural deficiencies. The expert investigation concluded in 2020 that the collapse was solely attributable to the extraordinary meteorological event and that no human error or maintenance deficiency was responsible. A new viaduct was built and inaugurated in 2020. No fatalities or injuries were reported. Crollo innescato da frana per piogge eccezionali che hanno saturato il versante: meccanismo di versante, non fluviale in senso stretto. [Il database Polimi (D'Angelo et al. 2025, S3, record P169, dec=1) classifica invece il processo come: erosione verticale (scour).] News sources (Feb 2013) specify that the collapsed span was the masonry arch section, while the adjacent reinforced-concrete walkway remained standing; ANAS surveys (16 March 2013) confirmed the RC structure was undamaged.
- ARCUS ID
- IT13.02.01
- Date
- 2013-02-02
- Municipality
- Ribera
- Province
- Agrigento
- Region
- Sicilia
- Coordinates
- 37.4892, 13.2275 · exact location
- Crossing
- Verdura river
- Use
- National
- Severity
- TC
- Structural type
- Arch bridge
- Material
- Masonry
- Cause category
- Natural
- Specific cause
- Hydraulic
- Failure trigger
- Rainfall-induced landslide
- Failure process
- Other documented hydraulic process
- Component involved
- Multiple components
- Cause evidence
- Documented
- Source confidence
- High
- Victims
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
Documentary sources (2)
- Ponte crollato ad Agrigento, l’Anas trova una soluzione (News · La Repubblica · 2013-02-08)
- Ponte crollato a Ribera, è corsa contro il tempo (News · Giornale di Sicilia · 2013-02-04)