A bridge from the island of Sicily to mainland Italy has been on-again, off-again. Concerns about cost, natural disasters, the environment, and Mafia involvement repeatedly scuttled the scheme. Now one official hopes to re-rally support for this massive project.
Interest in building a two-mile suspension bridge linking two cities—Messina on Sicily and Reggio Calabria on the mainland—has waxed and waned since the days of ancient Rome. In modern times, the so-called Messina Bridge has been repeatedly planned, discussed, and designed by a series of Italian governments. But the project has always flopped, the last time in 2013.
Now Italy Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini is reintroducing the venture. He insists the bridge would create 100,000 new jobs, shorten commute times, and develop Sicily and Calabria, two long-neglected areas of southern Italy.
“This government has revived what has been a dream of millions of Italians for decades, centuries even,” Salvini says.
Salvini claims concerns about the bridge have been resolved. He says previous Italian governments have already spent 300 million euros on plans for a bridge. Now he’s determined to produce something to show for it. He plans a 2030 completion date.
During the last push, the Messina Bridge design featured six lanes for traffic and two rail tracks. The span would be able to withstand a 7.1-magnitude earthquake and move 6,000 vehicles per hour and 200 trains per day. It would also be the longest suspension bridge in the world.
A suspension bridge uses multiple cables. Main cables swag between two or more towers; smaller cables hang down from the main cables. Those smaller cables hold up the roadway by pushing weight outward to the towers. The design allows suspension bridges to span longer distances than other bridges.
Salvini claims the new bridge would cut travel time from Rome to Messina in half. He also predicts that less ferry traffic would cut back on pollution.
The bridge has detractors. Some worry this go-round with the bridge won’t be any different. Many Sicilians see bridge-building as a recurring ordeal. Sicilian Anna Giordano says, “I’m tired of the bridge.”
Critics also claim that money might be better spent improving existing road and rail networks.
Wildlife advocate Dante Caserta has another reason to suspend the bridge project. He claims construction could harm nearby animals.
Time will tell whether this bridge will finally make the connection.
Why? God often allows humans to work out innovative solutions to problems such as bridging a large span. However, it’s good to remember that just because we can doesn’t always mean we should.
