Rome: The Italian government has granted final approval to an ambitious €13.5 billion ($15.6 billion) infrastructure project to build the world’s longest suspension bridge across the Strait of Messina, linking the island of Sicily to the Calabria region in mainland southern Italy.
The bridge, if completed, would span 3.3 kilometers (2.05 miles), anchored by two 400-metre (1,300-foot) towers. The structure is set to carry two railway tracks and three traffic lanes in each direction.
The Messina Bridge has been proposed and shelved numerous times over the past 50 years. Previous attempts collapsed under the weight of rising costs, political disagreements, and fears of criminal infiltration by the Sicilian and Calabrian mafias.
This latest iteration of the project, championed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, marks the closest Italy has come to making the bridge a reality. “We enjoy difficult challenges when they make sense,” Meloni said on Wednesday, describing the bridge as “an investment in Italy’s present and future.”
The Prime Minister acknowledged the complexities involved, particularly given that the bridge will be built in one of the most earthquake-prone zones in the Mediterranean. However, designers claim the structure will be engineered to withstand seismic activity.
Transport Minister Salvini, leader of the right-wing Lega party, celebrated the final approval, stating that construction is scheduled to begin in the coming years, with completion targeted between 2032 and 2033. He also claimed the project could create 120,000 jobs annually and deliver significant economic stimulus to Calabria and Sicily.
Despite government optimism, the bridge project remains highly controversial. It still requires final clearance from Italy’s Court of Auditors and environmental agencies at both the national and European levels.
Environmentalists and civic groups have raised concerns about the bridge’s massive water consumption, at a time when both Sicily and Calabria regularly endure droughts.
“This is a controversial and divisive project. It diverts crucial resources from what our communities need: modern local transport, safe schools, and quality healthcare,” said Senator Nicola Irto of the centre-left Democratic Party.
Rome is reportedly exploring whether the bridge can be classified as a military expenditure to count it toward NATO’s target of spending 5 percent of GDP on defence. Though not confirmed, such a move would give the project added political weight and possibly secure additional funding streams.
At present, trains traveling between Sicily and the Italian mainland must be loaded onto ferries and transported across the Strait. The bridge, proponents argue, would modernize Italy’s transport infrastructure and foster regional integration.
