Bridge Collapses on Italy's SS16 Highway Over Trigno River Amid Severe Storms

A bridge on State Road 16 Adriatica over the Trigno River collapsed on Thursday near Montenero di Bisaccia in Molise, severing road links between Molise and Abruzzo after days of torrential rain battered central and southern Italy. The structure had been closed to traffic since Wednesday, when authorities placed it under observation following the swelling and overflowing of the Trigno. No injuries were reported, as the precautionary closure had kept vehicles off the bridge. Pierfrancesco Assogna, head of the local police of Montenero di Bisaccia, reported the collapse while on site conducting monitoring operations. The Italian fire department confirmed the partial collapse occurred in the morning hours. The Strada Statale 16 Adriatica connects Padua in Veneto to Otranto in Puglia, running the length of Italy's Adriatic coastline and passing through numerous provincial capitals and tourist towns. The Trigno River forms part of the administrative border between the regions of Abruzzo and Molise. The bridge over the Trigno represented a key crossing point on this route, and its loss has disrupted interregional road connectivity along the southern Adriatic corridor.

Second bridge closed, alternative route identified Following the collapse on State Road 16, authorities moved to close a second bridge over the Trigno River — the one connecting Montenero di Bisaccia to San Salvo in the province of Chieti via Provincial Road 55. Simona Contucci, mayor of Montenero di Bisaccia, said the closure decision was reached at the conclusion of a meeting at the Prefecture in Campobasso with the presidents of the provinces of Campobasso and Chieti. With both Trigno crossings now shut, residents seeking to reach the A14 motorway, San Salvo, or Vasto from Montenero di Bisaccia were directed to take State Road 157 toward Mafalda and then connect to State Road 650 "Trignina." The Carpino River also burst its banks, flooding part of Provincial Highway 45 in the Carpinone area and the Pettoranello del Molise industrial zone near Isernia. Authorities described road connections with Abruzzo as practically interrupted.

Trigno River crossings near Montenero di Bisaccia: SS16 Adriatica bridge (before: Open to traffic, under observation from Wednesday, after: Collapsed Thursday morning, road links cut); SP55 bridge (Montenero–San Salvo) (before: Open to traffic, after: Closed Thursday following prefecture meeting)

Occhito dam at critical level as Puglia floods In Puglia, the Occhito dam in Carlantino reached a volume of , up from 107 million cubic meters, according to Graziano Coscia, mayor of Carlantino. The dam has been under constant monitoring since the previous day through technical sessions at the prefecture, and was placed in a state of pre-alert for hydraulic risk. „It is continuing to rain incessantly and concern is growing. If it continues to rain like this for another two days, there could be a flood.” — Graziano Coscia via ANSA Coscia described Carlantino, a municipality of approximately 800 inhabitants, as almost completely isolated, with a significant landslide blocking the provincial road connecting the town to the Puglia side toward the Foggia area. Floods were reported in houses, basements, and garages, and part of the population experienced electricity outages for several hours the previous day, along with disruptions to the fiber optic network. The mayor urged residents to stay at home and limit movements to what was strictly necessary.

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Firefighters rescue dozens across Foggia and Marche In the Foggia area, firefighters from the provincial command worked through the night and into Thursday morning, carrying out over 50 interventions from 8:00 a.m. Wednesday until Thursday morning. The flooding of the Cervaro stream caused by incessant rain prompted the rescue of around 40 people who had become isolated in farmsteads and country cottages, some reached by pneumatic boats, while approximately 60 vehicles — including cars and heavy vehicles — were recovered from floodwaters that had invaded roadways. Several provincial roads in the area were rendered impassable, blocked by mud and debris dragged downstream by the current. In Abruzzo, the rupture of the Tavo Sud water pipeline left Penne hospital without a direct water supply, with the public water management company ACA deploying tanker trucks to maintain health services. Water shortages were recorded across Penne and in the municipalities of Loreto Aprutino, Picciano, Collecorvino, Pianella, Moscufo, Spoltore, and Montesilvano Colle. In the Marche region, a landslide in the Piceno area cut off approximately 90 people from the outside world, while in the Ascoli area near Acquasanta further landslides were recorded, with the most critical situation reported at an underpass in Arquata del Tronto. Three families near Potenza in Basilicata were evacuated after extreme weather caused a wall to collapse.