Santiago Calatrava fined €78,000 for Venice bridge cost overruns

In Venice, the Italian Court of Auditors imposed a fine of €78,000 on architect Santiago Calatrava due to budget overruns related to the Ponte della Costituzione, which links Piazzale Roma with Venezia Santa Lucia station. Initially estimated at €7 million, the bridge's expenses escalated to €11.6 million because of underestimated costs and the rapid deterioration of glass steps. The court pointed out "macroscopic negligence" by the esteemed architect. Additionally, municipal engineer Salvatore Vento received a €11,000 fine. This bridge, one of four crossing the Grand Canal, incurs annual maintenance expenses of €167,000. Fabio Rampelli, Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies, labeled the ruling as "ridiculous" and criticized the trend of assigning projects to international starchitects. Calatrava is also known for the Mediopadana station and Marina d'Arechi.