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Italy to build world’s longest suspension bridge linking Sicily to mainland
The US$15.5 billion project was approved on Wednesday despite long-standing concerns over earthquakes, the mafia, and its military classification
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A long-delayed and debated bridge linking the Italian mainland with Sicily cleared a major hurdle on Wednesday, allowing work to begin on what would be the world’s longest suspension bridge, despite concerns over earthquakes, environmental impacts and the threat of mafia interference.
An interministerial committee with oversight of strategic public investments approved the €13.5 billion (US$15.5 billion) project, the Transport Ministry said in a statement. Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said the project would be “an accelerator for development” in southern Italy.
Preliminary work could begin later this summer, with construction expected to start next year.
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The Strait of Messina Bridge has been approved and cancelled multiple times since the Italian government first solicited proposals in 1969, and was most recently revived by Premier Giorgia Meloni’s administration in 2023. The notion of constructing a link between Sicily and the mainland dates back to ancient Rome.
The decision marks a political victory for Salvini, who has made the realisation of the bridge a hallmark of his tenure, saying it would be “a revolution” for southern Italy by bringing jobs and economic growth.
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The Strait of Messina Bridge would measure nearly 3.7km (2.3 miles), with the suspended span reaching 3.3km (2 miles), surpassing Canakkale Bridge in Turkey, currently the longest, by 1,277 metres (4,189 feet). With four lanes of traffic flanked by a double-track railway, the bridge would have the capacity to carry 6,000 cars an hour and 200 trains a day.
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