Trio of Crawler Cranes Lifts 728-Tonne Railroad Bridge in Northern Italy

Italian heavy lift specialist Vernazza Autogru recently completed the installation of a 728-tonne railroad bridge over the Alpone River in Soave, near San Bonifacio, Italy. The complex operation relied on the synchronized effort of three lattice boom crawler cranes, including two Tadano models.

At the heart of the project was Vernazza’s Tadano CC 68.1250-1 crawler crane, which played the lead role in lifting and transporting the 78-meter-long steel structure. Selected for its powerful capabilities, the CC 68.1250-1 was configured with a 72-meter main boom in SSL mode. The crane first lifted the massive bridge to a height of 15 meters at a 20-meter radius before traveling 45 meters across double-layered red ironwood mats toward the river.

Once in position, the lift team brought in two additional cranes to complete the job: a Tadano CC 38.650-1 equipped with a 68-meter boom and a 400-tonne crawler crane fitted with a 35-meter boom. These machines lifted the bridge from each end, allowing Vernazza technicians to align and lower the structure with pinpoint accuracy onto its support points.

The operation was the result of meticulous planning and tight coordination. “Even the planning stages were challenging,” noted Mauro Milano of Vernazza Autogru. “Synchronizing three large lattice boom cranes required our engineers to go the extra mile. But thanks to the team’s expertise, the execution went smoothly.”

According to Milano, the decision to deploy the CC 68.1250-1 paid off. “It’s a crane we use regularly, and its ease of assembly is a major advantage. We can fully set it up with a five-person crew in about a week—even in tough conditions,” he added.

The entire operation involved around 20 Vernazza personnel and spanned over two months on site. Despite a demanding timeline and challenging conditions, the project was completed on schedule.

“We’re proud of our team and the results we achieved,” said Milano. “With the right equipment and people in place, we were able to deliver exactly what the client needed. That’s what truly matters.”