(ANSA) - Rome, August 14 - A 2011 report by Italian highways company Autostrade per l'Italia said that the Morandi viaduct that collapsed in Genoa on Tuesday was suffering from decay.
    The report said that the "queues of cars and the volume of traffic provoke intense decay of the Morandi viaduct structure on a daily basis in the rush hours as it is subject to major demands.
    "The viaduct, therefore, has been subject to continuous maintenance for years". The 1,182 metre-long structure was inaugurated in 1967.
    In 2009 Autostrade per l'Italia and engineering company SPEA published a report on the possibility of demolishing the viaduct as a contribution to a public debate, estimating that the operation would take between eight and 12 months.