The Italian government is expected to give the green light on the implementation of the $15 billion Messina Strait Bridge. The bridge will connect Sicily and the mainland, facilitating the country’s transport sector. The approval will pave way for construction to finally commence on the long-awaited project as noted by a source. The source identified by Reuters said the meeting of the CIPESS economic planning committee to approve the project was yet to be scheduled. However, the source noted that it was expected to take place by August 7.
A stable connection across the Strait of Messina has been talked about since Roman times. However, the project appeared to have been killed off for good in 2013. This was when the company created to oversee its construction was closed down in a government austerity drive. It was resuscitated under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni who allocated $13.5 billion euros to build the suspension bridge.
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The CIPESS meeting expected to be held next week will have an influential impact on the construction of the Messina Strait Bridge. The Messina Strait company, which oversees the project noted that the approval will pave way for preliminary works. These include land expropriations and archeological and geological surveys. A consortium led by Italy’s Webuild is responsible for the construction, which is scheduled for completion in 2032. This is more than 60 years after the country organized an international contest to receive proposals for the bridge.
“There is a lot of attention around the world, everyone is looking at the Messina Bridge, and asking us about it,” WeBuild CEO Pietro Salini said last week presenting the group’s financial results for the first half of the year. Once complete, the bridge is expected to have an immense impact on Italy’s transport sector. Moreover, it is expected to facilitate Italy’s economy by promoting activities such as tourism.
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