Italy Approves $15.5B Plan to Build World’s Longest Suspension Bridge to Sicily

By Staff, Agencies

Italy has officially approved a long-anticipated plan to construct the world’s longest suspension bridge, connecting the mainland to the island of Sicily.

The massive €13.5 billion [$15.5 billion] infrastructure project—known as the Strait of Messina Bridge—received the green light on Wednesday from a key government committee overseeing strategic investments.

Transport Minister Matteo Salvini hailed the bridge as “the biggest infrastructure project in the West,” saying it would bring significant economic benefits, including an estimated 120,000 jobs annually and increased investment in southern Italy’s transportation network.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the structure would become a globally recognized engineering icon.

Construction could begin next year, following preliminary work this fall and approval from Italy’s court of audit. The bridge is projected to be completed by 2032 or 2033.

First proposed in 1969 and repeatedly shelved over concerns ranging from earthquakes and environmental damage to mafia infiltration, the project is now closer than ever to realization.

With a central span of 3.3 kilometers [over 2 miles], it would surpass Turkey’s Canakkale Bridge as the world’s longest. The design includes three traffic lanes and two railway tracks in each direction, capable of carrying 6,000 vehicles per hour and 200 trains per day. Travel time across the strait would drop from 100 minutes by ferry to just 10 minutes by car.

Italy also plans to classify the bridge as a dual-use infrastructure to help meet NATO defense spending goals, citing its strategic potential for military logistics.

However, this has sparked criticism from academics and environmental groups who warn that the military designation could make the bridge a target and skirt necessary assessments.

Environmental advocates have filed complaints with the EU, arguing that potential damage to migratory bird routes and ecosystems has not been adequately justified or mitigated. Nonetheless, the government insists that strict anti-mafia measures and environmental standards will be upheld.

Webuild, the Italian firm awarded the contract, initially won the bid in 2006 before the project was canceled. The company is using a proven engineering approach similar to Turkey’s Canakkale Bridge, designed to withstand high winds and seismic activity. Webuild CEO Pietro Salini called the project “transformative for the whole country.”