An £11billionmega-projectlinking mainlandItalywithSicilyis finally moving forward after decades of debate. The long-planned bridge across the Strait of Messina has received final government approvals, with preliminary works beginning in 2026. If completed, it will become the longest suspension bridge in the world.
The Strait of Messina Bridge will stretch around 3,666 metres (about 2.2 miles) from end to end, with a main suspended span of 3,300 metres (around two miles). That would make it far longer than the current record-holder, Turkey’s 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, which has a main span of 2,023 metres.
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The project, expected to cost between €13.5billion and €16billion (around £11bn to £13bn), has been described byItaly’sTransport Minister Matteo Salvini as “the biggestinfrastructure projectin the West”.
The suspended deck will hang from cables stretching between two towers standing 399 metres (1,309ft) tall, which is higher than the Eiffel Tower.
Unlike most record-breaking suspension bridges, the Messina crossing is designed to be “multimodal”.
Plans include six lanes of road traffic, two railway tracks, emergency lanes, service lanes and pedestrian walkways. It is expected to handle up to 6,000 vehicles per hour and around 200 trains per day.
The bridge will sit 72 metres above sea level, allowing large cruise ships and cargo vessels to pass underneath.
Constructionwill be led by a consortium known as Eurolink, headed by Italian engineering giantWebuild.
Source: Daily Express :: World Feed
