Italian highway management agency ANAS president Pietro Cucci has resigned following the collapse of a main motorway in Sicily Island.

Transport minister Graziano Delrio was informed by Cucci that after obtaining approval of the 2014 accounts, he would step down from his role in mid-May.

A column that supports the highway linking Palermo in north-western Sicily and Catania in the east collapsed following a landslide, which attracted lot of criticism.

"ANAS and the regional government should have intervened ten years ago and no-one did."

New Europe cited local reports saying that the bridge collapse injured several people. Investigations are in progress to determine the main cause behind the collapse.

The affected stretch of motorway is expected to be demolished and rebuilt and its closure reveals the lack of coordination between authorities that were meant to maintain the network.

"The truth is that the landslide that destroyed the section of the Palermo-Catania highway could have been made safe," said Erasmo D’Angelis, head of a unit established by prime minister Matteo Renzi to monitor infrastructure.

"ANAS and the regional government should have intervened ten years ago and no-one did."

The highway management agency released a statement rejecting the blame and said it was not responsible for the area in which the landslide occurred.

In addition, the agency said it was not notified of any risk.