Messina: More than 10,000 demonstrators flooded the streets of Messina to oppose a controversial Italian government plan to construct what would become the world’s longest single-span suspension bridge, linking Sicily to the mainland across the Strait of Messina.
The €13.5 billion ($15.7bn) Strait of Messina Bridge project, first proposed decades ago but long stalled, took a major step forward this week when Italy’s strategic public investment committee gave it the green light.
The government argues the bridge would transform southern Italy’s infrastructure, shorten travel times, and spur economic growth. But opponents warn that the scale, seismic risks, environmental damage, and potential for mafia infiltration far outweigh any benefits.
Transport Minister Matteo Salvini hailed the plan as the biggest infrastructure project in the West, projecting that it would create up to 120,000 jobs annually and channel billions into surrounding roads and rail upgrades.
According to design plans, the bridge would stretch nearly 3.7km (2.3 miles) with a suspended central span of 3.3km (more than 2 miles), surpassing Türkiye’s 1915 Çanakkale Bridge by 1,277 meters to claim the world record. The twin land towers, each 399 meters (440 yards) high, would anchor a structure designed to cut ferry crossing times from up to 100 minutes to just 10 minutes by car, and shave 2.5 hours off train journeys.
The government is also positioning the bridge as a defense asset, potentially classifying it as security-enhancing infrastructure under NATO’s target of raising defense spending to 5 percent of GDP. Officials argue the route could serve as a strategic corridor for rapid troop and equipment deployment.
Residents and environmental groups remain unconvinced. Around 500 families could face expropriation to make way for the bridge, though Salvini has promised compensation.
Protesters carried banners reading “No Ponte” (“No Bridge”) and chanted slogans declaring the strait untouchable. Environmental organizations have lodged formal complaints with the European Union, warning that construction could disrupt migratory bird routes and marine ecosystems.
Italy’s president has insisted the project remain subject to stringent anti-mafia regulations that govern all large-scale public works, amid concerns that organized crime could infiltrate the procurement process.
Pending a final review by Italy’s Court of Audit, preliminary site work could begin in late September or early October. Full-scale construction is slated for 2026, with completion targeted between 2032 and 2033.
