The New York Times has run a front page investigative story on the collapse of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa

The New York Times has run a front page investigative story on the collapse of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa and how privatization and weak government oversight contributed to it. “Beyond potential negligence,” the Times reports, “the case has exposed what critics say are deep systemic failings in how Italy privatized roadways. Autostrade reaped huge profits and acquired so much power that the state became a largely passive regulator. While no evidence has emerged that inspection findings were manipulated, the company effectively regulated itself—because Autostrade's parent company owned the inspection company responsible for safety checks on the Morandi Bridge. ‘The government was happy to leave the system to exploit drivers and share in the bounty produced by tolls,’ [Prof. Marco Ponti] said in a recent phone interview, having just headed a commission to assess the viability of a high-speed rail link with France. ‘And because it's a long concession, nobody is really looking at it, except bureaucrats and the superpower that is Autostrade,’ he added. ‘And they became close friends.’”