Messina Strait Bridge Documents Ready for Final Approval

Rome: Stretto di Messina, the company overseeing the project to build a bridge across the Strait of Messina connecting Sicily and the Italian mainland, announced that its board of directors has approved the documents that will be presented to the CIPESS economic planning committee for the final go-ahead for work to commence.

According to Ansa News Agency, the overall cost of the project remains at 13.5 billion euros. This includes the construction of the bridge itself, along with 40 kilometers of road and rail links, three new train stations, and a business center in Calabria. If everything proceeds as planned, the world’s longest suspension bridge is expected to be completed by 2032, as stated by Pietro Salini, the CEO of Webuild, which leads the consortium responsible for constructing the bridge.

The project, once championed by the late three-time ex-premier and media mogul Silvio Berlusconi, had previously been shelved due to its high cost, environmental concerns, and fears of mafia infiltration. However, it was revived by Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini following the center-right’s victory in the 2022 general election.

In May, Italy’s largest union, the CGIL, wrote to the European Commission, urging it to withdraw approval for the government’s plan, citing “serious technical, environmental, regulatory, and social critical issues.”