Rome validates the project to build a suspension bridge between Sicily and the continent, the longest in the world

A ministerial committee gave its final green light on Wednesday to a project of 13.5 billion euros (12.7 billion francs) aimed at building the longest suspension bridge in the world. Nevertheless, connecting the island of Sicily to the continent, said a spokesperson.

“It will be the longest suspension bridge in the world. However, An infrastructure of this kind represents a development accelerator. Similarly, “the Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure said Matteo Salvini, quoted by his spokesperson in the meeting. In addition, The construction of this bridge over the Strait of Messina funded by the State will mark a “historic page”. Similarly, after decades of planning.

A vector of growth. according to the government

With two railways in the center and three traffic lanes on each side, the bridge is designed with two twin cables tense between two laps 400 meters high, with a rome validates project build suspension suspended range of 3,300 meters, a world record. . Planned to be completed by 2032, the government affirms that it is a technical feat, capable of withstanding violent winds and earthquakes in a region located at the junction of two tectonic plates.

The government hopes that it will bring economic growth. jobs to two poor Italian regions, Sicily and Calabria, Matteo Salvini promising that the project will create tens of thousands of jobs.

The project. however, aroused local protests, due to its environmental impact and its price, this money that can be, according to detractors, better used elsewhere. Some detractors also think that it will never see the light of day. recalling the long history of public works announced, funded and never completed in Italy.

The bridge itself has experienced several false starts, the first plans having been developed over 50 years ago. Eurolink. a consortium led by the Italian group Webuild, won rome validates project build suspension the call for tenders in 2006, but it was canceled after the debt crisis in the euro zone. The consortium remains, however, the contractor of the relaunched project.

This time. Rome has an additional motivation to move forward: she classified the cost of the bridge as a defense expenditure. Italy. riddled with debts, has accepted, with other NATO allies, to massively increase its defense expenses to bring them to 5% of GDP, at the request of US President Donald Trump.

On this amount, 1.5% can be devoted to “defense” areas. such as cybersecurity and infrastructure, and Rome hopes that the Messina bridge will be eligible, especially since Sicily is home to a NATO base.