Italy has approved the €13.5 billion ($15.5 billion) project to build a bridge across the Strait of Messina linking the mainland to Sicily. Its main span of about 3.3 kilometers would be the longest of any suspension bridge, but critics raise concerns about earthquakes, cost and possible mafia infiltration.
Italy approves suspension bridge to Sicily
Italy’s government has given final approval to the €13.5 billion ($15.5 billion) Strait of Messina Bridge, a long-debated project to connect mainland Italy to the island of Sicily. The approval came from the interministerial committee that oversees major public investments.
The bridge’s main span of about 3.3 kilometers (about 2 miles) would make it the longest suspension bridge in the world, more than twice the length of the main span of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
Design and earthquake risk
The strait lies in one of Italy’s most seismically active areas. An earthquake and tsunami in 1908 devastated Messina and Reggio Calabria. Project officials say the bridge has been designed to withstand strong earthquakes and high winds.
The bridge would carry both road and rail traffic, linking Sicily to Italy’s national highway and rail networks.
Travel times
Today, people and goods cross the strait by ferry. Supporters say the bridge would make the crossing much faster, with officials saying a car could cross in about 15 minutes, and would improve rail connections between Sicily and the rest of Italy.
Supporters and critics
Government leaders, including Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini, have promoted the bridge as a boost to jobs and economic growth in southern Italy. Critics have raised concerns about the cost, the environmental impact on the strait, the earthquake risk and the possibility that organized crime groups could try to win construction contracts. The government says it will apply strict anti-mafia controls.
The idea of a bridge across the strait has been proposed for decades, and earlier versions of the project were approved and then shelved.
When the bridge could open
Officials have said construction could begin soon after approval, with completion targeted in the early 2030s. The project still faces further administrative steps and possible legal challenges.
Source: Courthouse News Service
