While Italian officials continue probing the August 2018 collapse of Genoa’s Polcevera viaduct, which caused 43 deaths, senior executives of the highway’s operating company have been arrested following unrelated allegations concerning acoustic barriers.

Following a one-year investigation, Genoa’s financial police on Nov. 11 took “precautionary measures”, including house arrests on three former senior executives of the toll road company Autostrade per l'Italia S.p.A. (ASPI).

Genoa’s Public Prosecutor's Office called for the arrests on evidence of unlawful behavior relating to the unsafe installation of highway sound absorbing barriers. The evidence emerged from analysis of computer and paper documentation acquired in the main collapse investigation.

According to local reports, executives under house arrest are Giovanni Castelluci and two other ASPI directors. Castelluci was CEO and general manager of ASPI’s parent company Atlantia S.p.A. till last year, when he resigned.

Following the arrests, ASPI revealed that the particular type of barriers, known as “Integautos,” lined some 60 km of its network of around 3,000 km.

The company plans to replace the barriers at a cost of $200 million {€170m), starting site work in the second half of next year. “All these barriers have been verified and made safe…between the end of 2019 and January 2020,” it asserts.

While repercussions of the bridge collapse rumble on, Atlantia is preparing to sell its 88% ownership of ASPI under pressure from the Italian government.  Controlled by the Benetton family, Atlantia is considering offers, including a recent one by  Blackstone Group International Partners and Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets. 

A broader investigation into the bridge collapse is still ongoing.