Latest news with #suspensionbridge
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
A billion-euro dream or a bridge to nowhere? Italy's plan to link Sicily faces mafia threats, protests, and 150 years of false starts
ROME, June 12 — Italy hopes to begin constructing the world's largest suspension bridge connecting Sicily to the Italian mainland this summer amid widespread scepticism that it will ever be built. The 13.5-billion-euro (RM65.3-billion) project would carry trains and six lanes of traffic, allowing cars to cross the Strait of Messina in 15 minutes. Giorgia Meloni's hard-right government hopes to boost the economy of the impoverished region, although critics say there are better ways to do this — and many believe that after decades of false starts, the bridge will never actually happen. The choppy waters between the eastern tip of Sicily and the western edge of the region of Calabria are legendary as the place where monsters Scylla and Charybdis terrified sailors in Homer's epic poem The Odyssey. These days the challenges are more prosaic, from winds of more than 100 kilometres an hour (62 mph) to the real risk of earthquakes in a region that lies across two tectonic plates. The government says the bridge will be at the cutting edge of engineering, with the section suspended between its two pillars stretching 3.3 kilometres, the longest in the world. But critics point to a long history of public works announced, financed and never completed in Italy, whether due to corruption or political instability, resulting in enormous losses for taxpayers. 'The public does not trust this political class and these projects that become endless construction sites,' said Luigi Storniolo, a member of protest group No Ponte (No Bridge). Infrastructure Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, one of the main champions of the project, insists it will be a game-changer for the local economy. 'The bridge will be a catalyst for development,' he said on a recent visit to Reggio di Calabria, the city where the bridge will begin. 'A senseless project' The government hopes to boost trade in Sicily, which currently suffers from an 'insularity cost' of around 6.5 billion euros a year, according to regional authorities. Meloni's ministers are expected to give their final approval to the project — which Rome will fund — later this month, and Salvini insists construction will begin this summer. But work had already been announced for the summer of 2024, before being postponed — a common theme in the history of the bridge, the idea of which dates back to the unification of Italy at the end of the 19th century. The first law for the project was passed in 1971. Since then, successive governments have either revived it or cancelled it. In 2012, the idea appeared to be definitely abandoned amid the eurozone debt crisis, only for Meloni's government, which took office in 2022, to return to it once again. Salvini has repeatedly stated that the bridge would create 120,000 jobs in Calabria and Sicily, which have the fourth and the 13th highest unemployment rates respectively in the EU for young people under 29. However, the left-wing CGIL trade union estimates around 2,300 workers a year will be hired during the project, and critics say the jobs created will be offset by long-term losses from the closure of ferries. Mafia risk The project has sparked local protests, with critics warning of the impact on a protected marine zone and an important bird migratory route. Storniolo told AFP it was a 'senseless project' which used up valuable funds when 'our regions already suffer from many problems... healthcare, schools, and infrastructure.' The Italian Court of Auditors has also criticised the extent of the debt-laden Italian state's investment in this one project in its assessment of the 2024 budget. 'They want to make an entire territory believe that its only hope is this bridge — but then the bridge never arrives,' protester Storniolo added. There is also the question of mafia infiltration. The attorney general of Messina recently warned of the risk that organised crime would benefit from the project, noting that 'the power of the mafia is hidden... behind public contracts'. The government has proposed placing companies relating to the project under control of an anti-mafia structure reporting to the interior ministry. But Italian President Sergio Mattarella blocked this, saying it should only be used for one-off events such as earthquakes or the Olympics. Salvini argued that the bridge can help tackle the mafia, saying: 'You do not fight the mafia... with conferences and protests, but by creating jobs and giving hope to young people.' — AFP
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Italy Forges on with World's Largest Suspension Bridge
Italy hopes to begin constructing the world's largest suspension bridge connecting Sicily to the Italian mainland this summer amid widespread skepticism that it will ever be built. The 13.5-billion-euro ($15.3-billion) project would carry trains and six lanes of traffic, allowing cars to cross the Strait of Messina in 15 minutes, AFP reported. Giorgia Meloni's hard-right government hopes to boost the economy of the impoverished region, although critics say there are better ways to do this -- and many believe that after decades of false starts, the bridge will never actually happen. The choppy waters between the eastern tip of Sicily and the western edge of the region of Calabria are legendary as the place where monsters Scylla and Charybdis terrified sailors in Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey". These days the challenges are more prosaic, from winds of more than 100 kilometers an hour (62 mph) to the real risk of earthquakes in a region that lies across two tectonic plates. The government says the bridge will be at the cutting edge of engineering, with the section suspended between its two pillars stretching 3.3 kilometers, the longest in the world. But critics point to a long history of public works announced, financed and never completed in Italy, whether due to corruption or political instability, resulting in enormous losses for taxpayers. "The public does not trust this political class and these projects that become endless construction sites," said Luigi Storniolo, a member of protest group No Ponte (No Bridge). Infrastructure Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, one of the main champions of the project, insists it will be a game-changer for the local economy. "The bridge will be a catalyst for development," he said on a recent visit to Reggio di Calabria, the city where the bridge will begin. The government hopes to boost trade in Sicily, which currently suffers from an "insularity cost" of around 6.5 billion euros a year, according to regional authorities. Meloni's ministers are expected to give their final approval to the project -- which Rome will fund -- later this month, and Salvini insists construction will begin this summer. But work had already been announced for the summer of 2024, before being postponed -- a common theme in the history of the bridge, the idea of which dates back to the unification of Italy at the end of the 19th century.
ABC News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Romy Gilbert
A proposed load limit on the country's only surviving timber-decked suspension bridge from the 19th century, a major connection from the country to the coast, could send truckies on hours-long detours. 52m ago 52 minutes ago Wed 21 May 2025 at 7:03am Report identifies failings as bulk carrier MV Portland Bay, carrying 950 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, lost power in extreme weather and drifted towards Royal National Park cliffs, north of Sydney, in 2022. Mon 19 May Mon 19 May Mon 19 May 2025 at 8:47am The Liberal candidate, who campaigned against Labor's renewable energy platform, has conceded defeat, admitting his party needs to be "pro-environment". Mon 5 May Mon 5 May Mon 5 May 2025 at 7:33am Nathan Bernhard is accused of dangerous driving causing the deaths of his two friends, who were lying in the middle of the road after an afternoon of drinking in North Nowra. Thu 1 May Thu 1 May Thu 1 May 2025 at 12:34am A mother and son convicted of murdering an Indigenous teen in Nowra have been told by victim's family of the grief caused by the "revenge attack". Thu 24 Apr Thu 24 Apr Thu 24 Apr 2025 at 7:23am A 47-year-old man is denied bail after being charged with the murder of father of two Dylan Gray, who was fatally stabbed on Easter Sunday on the NSW south coast. Mon 21 Apr Mon 21 Apr Mon 21 Apr 2025 at 5:35am A 54-year-old man has died despite frantic efforts to save him after he was pulled from the water unresponsive at Bawley Point on the NSW South Coast. Thu 17 Apr Thu 17 Apr Thu 17 Apr 2025 at 4:33am Workers at a plant where two silos collapsed last year are at risk of serious injury or death, according to dozens of improvement notices issued by the NSW safety regulator. Sun 13 Apr Sun 13 Apr Sun 13 Apr 2025 at 10:04pm Four coal miners at GM3's Appin colliery are in hospital after an incident occurred inside a mine early Sunday morning. Sun 6 Apr Sun 6 Apr Sun 6 Apr 2025 at 9:48pm On the fourth day of the election campaign, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles visits the ultra-marginal seat of Gilmore to promise the return of a local icon. Tue 1 Apr Tue 1 Apr Tue 1 Apr 2025 at 8:18am The body of a missing six-year-old girl has been found in bushland near a lookout at Nowra, on the NSW south coast. Mon 17 Mar Mon 17 Mar Mon 17 Mar 2025 at 2:17am NSW Anti-Slavery Commissioner James Cockayne says he is monitoring the risk of slave labour being used in NSW government electric bus supply chains. Tue 11 Mar Tue 11 Mar Tue 11 Mar 2025 at 10:32pm Aboriginal women with type 2 diabetes take control of their health, with spectacular results, during a trial of group medical appointments on the New South Wales south coast. Wed 26 Feb Wed 26 Feb Wed 26 Feb 2025 at 5:27am Scuba divers in a NSW marine park claim reefs are overwhelmed with mussels, sparking plans for genetic testing to work out if the wild and farmed stock are linked. Mon 17 Feb Mon 17 Feb Mon 17 Feb 2025 at 7:46pm Freedom of Information documents show 55 dangerous incidents and 31 serious injuries occurred at one of the Manildra Group's agribusiness sites between 2020 and 2024. Wed 5 Feb Wed 5 Feb Wed 5 Feb 2025 at 8:00pm The prime minister has entered the battle to retain Labor's most marginal seat, Gilmore, taking aim at Liberal challenger Andrew Constance and questioning his track record and commitment to the region. Tue 14 Jan Tue 14 Jan Tue 14 Jan 2025 at 3:47am Blake D'Ombrain, 19, broke his neck after jumping headfirst into a sandbank off a popular jetty on New Year's Eve. Tue 7 Jan Tue 7 Jan Tue 7 Jan 2025 at 6:12am Sixty-three-year-old Tony Andeliero's fishing boat was found floating unattended on Friday. The search is expected to resume on Monday pending weather conditions. Sun 5 Jan Sun 5 Jan Sun 5 Jan 2025 at 4:47am A woman found unresponsive in the water at Gerringong on the New South Wales south coast and was unable to be revived. Two 13-year-old lifesavers have been praised for their attempts to save her. Sun 22 Dec Sun 22 Dec Sun 22 Dec 2024 at 1:41am Bus driver Gary Reeves swiftly evacuated 33 school children off a school bus before it burst into flames on a Kiama street. Leaders have shared their pride in his actions by giving him a 'community hero' award. Mon 9 Dec Mon 9 Dec Mon 9 Dec 2024 at 7:05am Paramedics arrived outside a suburban address early Sunday morning to find the man unconscious but he died at the scene. Sun 24 Nov Sun 24 Nov Sun 24 Nov 2024 at 3:30am A NSW inquiry has proposed 18 recommendations to address climate change within the planning system including allowing councils to revoke old consents without compensation. Thu 21 Nov Thu 21 Nov Thu 21 Nov 2024 at 2:10am The deputy mayor says the council is "bleeding money" as it faces a $37 million operating deficit after several natural disasters, and the potential of large termination payments. Thu 14 Nov Thu 14 Nov Thu 14 Nov 2024 at 1:54am Wildlife rescuers are increasing measures to prevent the potential spread of the deadly bird flu strain H5N1, which is yet to arrive in Australia, as they respond to reports of thousands of dead shearwaters along the east coast. Wed 6 Nov Wed 6 Nov Wed 6 Nov 2024 at 6:42pm SafeWork NSW is investigating how two wheat silos containing thousands of tonnes of grain collapsed last week, causing major structural damage at Manildra's south coast processing plant. Wed 23 Oct Wed 23 Oct Wed 23 Oct 2024 at 7:12am
