The work and the technique: Recco Bridge, Italy

In 1914, Lodigiani, a company founded in 1906 and then part of the Webuild Group, began works on the Recco Bridge.  It was destroyed during WW2 and at the end of the conflict, railway mobility had to be restored as soon as possible. So, a temporary bridge was built with a single track. In wood and with H-beams, because for this type, the Management of Ferrovie dello Stato already had a prototype project. Pine, larch, and fir astragals in the Ossola Valley had been ascertained, and steel in the Ansaldo and Galante factories.  

Lodigiani and Girola(also the last one merged into the Webuild Group), in only 4 months built a straight-road bridge, connecting at the ends by two curves with a 150-metre ray, in a different position compared to where the old bridge was, so that workers had the necessary time to remove the rubble and leave space for rebuilding the final bridge. 

Works to build the bridge ended on December 16, 1945. It was then tested on January 3 of the next year. The temporary bridge could be safely used at 6 km/h. A fire almost started on a pile on July 19, 1946, caused by a short circuit of a power cable of one of the site's cranes, but the prompt alarm and quick intervention managed to avoid important damage. 

Meanwhile, works on the definite reinforced concrete bridge were carried out.