Bridge to link Sicily and mainland Italy planned
Bridge to link Sicily and mainland Italy planned
The Italian government has revived plans to build a bridge linking Sicily with mainland Italy. The Messina bridge would span two miles and be the longest in the world.
The project was originally backed by the Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, and his 2001-2006 government, but the plans were scrapped by the succeeding administration, reports the BBC. However, the
Messina bridge scheme has been included in a public works programme announced at the end of February.
The 17.8 billion euro (£15.9 billion) programme has been developed to create new jobs and boost the Italian economy. In addition to the bridge, which is expected to benefit those who rent out their
villas in Sicily by improving access to the island, several other projects are planned. These include new urban rail networks, motorway expansion and a flood barrier system in
Venice.
Work on the
road and rail bridge is scheduled to begin later this year. It will link
Calabria and Sicily over the Straits of Messina. The project was previously the subject of much criticism. Opponents raised the issue of
safety, since the bridge will span a busy shipping lane and will need to be able to withstand high winds. There were also fears that large amounts of taxpayers' money would be "siphoned off" by the Sicilian and Calibrian
mafias, who are believed to control the majority of public works projects in southern Italy.
It is thought that the bridge will cost just over six billion euros to construct. The
Italian government has said it will contribute 1.3 billion euros to the project.
The opposition Democratic Party has critisised the Messina bridge project. The party has said that it should not be a priority in the current economic climate.
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