italy approves plans for world’s longest suspension bridge across strait of messina to sicily

decades-long vision for record-breaking bridge revived

The government of Italy has approved the construction of a single-span suspension bridge connecting Sicily to the mainland over the Strait of Messina. If completed as planned, the project will claim the title of the longest span of its kind in the world, stretching 3,300 meters between two steel towers. The €13.5 billion infrastructure investment is scheduled to begin construction in 2026, with completion targeted for 2032.

The bridge will carry both road and rail traffic. This will include six lanes for vehicles flanking two central railway tracks, capable of supporting up to 6,000 vehicles per hour and 200 trains per day. The design is led by a consortium headed by Italy’s Webuild Group, with participation from international partners including Spain’s Sacyr and Japan’s IHI Corporation.

images © Stretto di Messina

structural scale and engineering challenges

The bridge spanning Sicily and mainland Italy will rise from two towers, each 399 meters tall, anchoring a suspension system of cables measuring over five kilometers in length. The deck will span 60 meters in width, with wind- and earthquake-resilient engineering adapted to one of the most seismically active regions in the Mediterranean. The team at Webuild reports the design can withstand winds up to 181 mph, far exceeding historical wind speeds in the area.

Materials have been selected for durability in a marine environment, where salt exposure accelerates corrosion. Fiber-reinforced components and specialized expansion joints are intended to extend the bridge’s operational lifespan while reducing maintenance demands. The engineering strategy builds on precedents from other high-seismic regions, such as Japan and Turkey, while adapting to the unique environmental pressures of the Messina Strait.

the Italian government approves plans for the world’s longest single span bridge to Sicily

expanding infrastructure of sicily and mainland italy

The Strait of Messina Bridge to Sicily is positioned as the centerpiece of a wider mobility network in southern Italy. Plans include more than 40 kilometers of new road and rail lines, three underground train stations, and ten viaducts across Sicily and Calabria. It will link directly to the Palermo–Catania–Messina railway as well as the high-speed corridor between Salerno and Reggio Calabria.

This integration is intended to reduce travel time between the island and mainland from thirty minutes by ferry (without accounting for lining up, embarking and disembarking) to a matter of minutes by train or car. Supporters of the project, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, have framed it as an infrastructural milestone and an economic catalyst for some of Italy’s least-developed regions.

the structure will cross the Strait of Messina with a 3,300 meter suspension span

The Messina bridge has been proposed and abandoned multiple times since the late 1960s, most often over concerns related to cost, environmental impact, and potential criminal interference in contracts. Its current approval follows an updated environmental impact assessment and a renewed political push from Rome.

Opposition remains strong among environmental groups and local residents. Critics cite the project’s footprint in a sensitive marine and coastal ecosystem, its high price tag, and the displacement of an estimated 4,000 residents. Drought-stricken communities have also questioned the water demand of large-scale construction. Legal challenges at both the national and EU level could still delay progress.

the bridge will carry six vehicle lanes and two railway tracks with high traffic capacity

two 399 meter steel towers will anchor the bridge with cables over five kilometers long

the project is part of a larger network of roads rail lines stations and viaducts

project info:

name: Strait of Messina Bridge

construction: Webuild | @webuildgroup

commissioner: Società Stretto di Messina

collaborators: Sacyr, IHI Corporation

status: construction expected to begin 2026

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