Italy Approves $15.5 Billion Plan To Build World's Longest Suspension Bridge To Sicily
The Italian government on Wednesday approved a long-awaited plan to construct the world's largest suspension bridge, a $15.5 billion megaproject designed to connect mainland Italy to the island of Sicily, Associated Press reported.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailed the decision, describing the proposed Strait of Messina Bridge as 'an engineering symbol of global significance." In a press conference following the approval, Italian Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said the project would be 'the biggest infrastructure project in the West."
The green light came after a careful review by an interministerial committee responsible for overseeing major public investments. While the idea of the bridge has been proposed multiple times over the past few decades, it was consistently delayed due to environmental concerns, seismic risks, and fears of mafia infiltration in large public works.
According to Salvini, the new bridge is expected to generate employment for over 1,20,000 people and serve as a key driver of economic growth for Southern Italy, a region that has historically lagged behind the country's northern industrial hubs. The project will also be accompanied by the development of new roads, railways, and other supporting infrastructure.
The suspension bridge will span approximately 3.3 kilometers (2.05 miles) across the Strait of Messina. Preliminary work is expected to begin between late September and early October 2025, with full-scale construction scheduled to start in 2026. If all goes according to plan, the bridge could be operational between 2032 and 2033, Salvini added.
Rome has also positioned the bridge as a strategic investment aligned with its NATO commitments. As part of a broader goal to raise military spending to 5% of GDP, Italy is allocating 1.5% of GDP to strategic infrastructure, including transportation links critical for national and regional defence.
Once completed, the bridge would surpass Turkey's Çanakkale Bridge as the longest suspension bridge in the world. It is designed to include three lanes of traffic in each direction along with a double-track railway. The structure will be capable of supporting at least 6,000 vehicles per hour and up to 200 trains per day, significantly enhancing mobility between Sicily and the Italian mainland.
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