construction of the world's longest suspension bridge.
The Messina Bridge, to be built at a cost of around 13.5 billion euros ($15.6 billion), will connect Calabria, the southern tip of Italy's boot-shaped mainland, with the island state of Sicily.The 3.3-kilometer-long bridge will be built in one of the most earthquake-prone areas of the Mediterranean, but project designers claim that the bridge will be able to withstand strong earthquakes.
"This project is an investment for Italy, present and future. We enjoy the challenge, if it is justified," Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said in an announcement on Wednesday.
The Messina Bridge will have two railway lines and three lanes of traffic on each side. The bridge will be supported by two towers, each 400 meters (1,300 feet) high.
The government wants the project to be included under military spending, so that it can be included in NATO's 5 percent GDP spending target.
Transport Minister and Lega Party leader
Matteo Salvini said, "Our goal is to complete the bridge between 2032 and 2033. This project will create around 120,000 jobs a year and boost the economy of southern Italy."
However, the project still awaits final approval from Italy's Court of Auditors and national and European environmental agencies. It is also mandatory to obtain the opinions of people living on both sides of the bridge whose properties will be acquired.
The project has been shelved several times in the past. The first plan was conceived nearly 50 years ago, but it was never implemented due to concerns over costs, environmental impacts, safety, and mafia interference.
Opposition among local politicians is
also evident. Democratic Party (PD) Senator Nicola Irto called the project "controversial and divisive" and said it diverts budgets from important sectors such as local transport, modern infrastructure, safe educational institutions and quality healthcare.
Giuseppe Caminiti, mayor of the town of Villa San Giovanni, said the construction of the bridge would have an impact on their town and that more time was needed to discuss it.
Meanwhile, a Calabrian mass movement called No to the Bridge called the decision a political decision, not the result of a technical assessment.
