A series of controlled explosions have seen the remains of a collapsed viaduct in northern Italy go up in a puff of dust, clearing the city of a painful reminder of the tragic collapse that killed 43 people.

The two towers of the 1.2 kilometer-long Morandi motorway bridge in the northern Italian port town of Genoa were brought down in only six seconds.

The footage of the controlled demolition shows cannons shooting water over the steel and concrete structure the moment the explosives went off to prevent the dust clouds from covering the city. The demolition was followed by applause from those who flocked to witness authorities finally wiping the tragic reminder away from Genoa’s conscience.

The bridge used to connect the city with southern France. A section of it collapsed in August 2018 due to heavy rain. The collapse sent dozens of cars tumbling some 50 metres to the ground. Dozens died in the tragedy and many more were injured. It also made access to Genoa’s busy sea port rather more difficult, with travelers having to spend hours on a detour since the collapse.

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Earlier this week Italy’s Infrastructure Minister Danilo Toninelli laid the first stone of a new viaduct that will replace the now-demolished one.