Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government revived a plan already pondered by ancient Romans and pursued for decades by modern governments: building a bridge between the mainland and Sicily.
(Bloomberg) — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government revived a plan already pondered by ancient Romans and pursued for decades by modern governments: building a bridge between the mainland and Sicily.
The government says the 3.2-kilometer (2-mile) link, a pet project of Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini, would be the world’s longest suspension bridge. The government on Thursday approved a decree that “allows the immediate restart of the project planning and construction process,” Salvini’s ministry said in a statement.
Financial and geological concerns have stymied the project in the past, most recently when then Prime Minister Mario Monti shelved it a decade ago due to high costs and engineering challenges.
The new project calls for a single-span bridge, with construction to begin in 2024 by a state-owned company controlled by Italy’s treasury. A previous proposal envisaged a bridge between Villa San Giovanni in the southern region of Calabria and just north the Sicilian city of Messina.
The Infrastructure Ministry called it a “green project” that would reduce carbon dioxide pollution and save time and money for those crossing the strait.
“Also, it will be a great tourist attraction,” the ministry said in a separate statement.
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