Officials in Venice are finally caving to local demands to author significant changes to Santiago Calatrava’s Ponta della Costituzione bridge following years of protest and a rash of recent injuries.

The New York Times is reporting that glass from the pedestrian bridge is going to be removed and replaced with more trachyte stone that will avert any possible future spills which have befallen users thanks to the 94-meter-long structure’s slippery surface. 

Located along Venice’s Grand Canal, the bridge was supposed to be a refreshing modern connector to the city’s main rail station but became a liability only a short time after opening in September of 2008. 

“People hurt themselves, and they sue the administration. We have to intervene.”  Venice public works official Francesca Zaccariotto told the Times. 

Over the years, the city has tried multiple ways to mitigate the hazards caused by the bridge’s tempered glass steps including the installation of resin and non-slip stickers in addition to warning signs and the eventual replacement of some of the bridge’s steps, which began in 2018. 

The city was also forced to install a cable car owing to the bridge’s initial lack of wheelchair access, although the lift itself had to be replaced over a variety of embarrassing usability factors.

The repairs will cost around €500,000 ($565,000) once a structural analysis is completed and approved by the city’s Architectural Review Board. Officials told the Times they feel their action is for the betterment of public life, despite some lingering criticisms about the stonework’s aesthetic alterations. 

“We can’t always do poetry,” Zaccariotto said finally. “We must give security.”