As The Mayor already reported at the start of the year, Italy has officially approved a groundbreaking €13.5 billion ($15.6 billion) project. This joint initiative will make the world’s longest suspension bridge. This incredibly ambitious project would connect the island of Sicily with the mainland region of Calabria. Calabria lies at the toe of Italy’s boot. The bridge will span a whopping 3.3 kilometers (2.05 miles) across the Messina Strait. It is also home to two of the world’s tallest structures, each reaching an impressive 400 meters (1,300 feet).
As it stands now, the bridge’s design would place two railway lines down the center of the bridge, with three lanes of congested traffic on either side. Yet Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has fully embraced the project, calling it “an investment in Italy’s present and future. She said she is counting on getting construction started soon, with hopes to have the new bridge finished between 2032 and 2033.
Beyond just improving multimodal connectivity, the project would relieve congestion and support economic development throughout the region. The federal authorities estimate that the construction alone will generate some 120,000 jobs per year. The initiative hasn’t been without its challenges.
This project has encountered quite a few challenges, Meloni admitted, but asserted that her government is ready to take on tough challenges that benefit citizens in the end. Additionally, designers will construct the bridge in one of the Mediterranean Sea’s most seismically active areas. Like any freeway, they claim it will be built to be “earthquake-proof.”
Opposition to the bridge has come from unexpected places. Senator Nicola Irto of the Democratic Party (PD) has called the project “controversial and divisive.” They are rightly concerned about its environmental impact and safety risks. There are these allegations, too about mafia infiltration into the construction process.
Aside from acting sustainably, the very construction of the bridge itself poses important questions in consuming resources. Experts warn that this undertaking will require millions of liters of water per day. This presents a big challenge as both Sicilia and Calabria are regions that experience drought crises. Participation This part of the project has fueled a national debate on the role of local populations and environmentalists in decision-making.