The world’s longest suspension bridge will be built in Italy, linking Sicily and Calabria over the Strait of Messina. The structure will be a key element of the region’s transport system, combining road and rail traffic in a single structure. The investment is expected to strengthen the economic links between the island and the rest of the country, facilitate the daily movement of residents and provide a boost to tourism and infrastructure in southern Italy.
Bridge over the Strait of Messina – an innovation
With a main span of 3.3 kilometres, the structure will become the longest suspension bridge in the world. The structure has been designed with road and rail traffic in mind, drawing on experience from similar structures in China, Hong Kong, the United States and Turkey. The structure will withstand winds of up to 216 km/h and earthquakes of magnitude 7.1, equivalent to the magnitude of the catastrophic tremor that struck Messina in 1908.
Technical parameters and capacity
The total length of the structure between the expansion joints will be 3666 metres. The bridge will have three lanes in each direction, two railway tracks and service lanes. The assumed capacity is several dozen trains per day and several hundred vehicles per hour. The project envisages 24/7 year-round operation and a life span of the structure estimated at 200 years. The bridge deck will consist of a multi-leaf metal structure and the carriageway width will be 14.2 metres.
Towers and suspension system
The planned bridge will be supported by two 399-metre-high steel towers, each weighing 55,000 tonnes. The structure of the towers consists of octagonal segments, manufactured entirely in-house, transported by sea and assembled on site. The suspension system will be based on four main cables with a diameter of 1.26 metres and a length of approximately 5.3 kilometres. Each consists of 349 prefabricated steel bundles with a total weight of approximately 170,000 tonnes.
Organisational facilities and schedule
In July this year, Stretto di Messina signed an addendum to the concession agreement with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and concluded agreements with the main partners for the construction work, project management, environmental monitoring and insurance services. Following the publication of the resolution in the Official Gazette, preparatory work will begin, including the removal of collisions with existing infrastructure, site clearance, archaeological and geological surveys and the construction of technical facilities.
Residents’ protests
The initial phase of the project includes the preparation of construction sites, which entails the demolition of buildings over an area of 3.7 million square metres. The plan involves the removal of 300 residential buildings in Sicily and 150 in Calabria. News of the start of this phase sparked opposition from residents affiliated to a committee against the project. They announced measures, including legal steps, to protect the area and allow residents to remain in their homes.
Bridge over the Strait of Messina – importance for the region
The bridge will connect Sicily and Calabria at the narrowest point of the strait, creating a key link in the integrated transport network. Three metro stations will be built on the Sicilian side, which, together with the existing stations in Villa San Giovanni, Reggio Calabria and Messina, will form an interregional system serving more than 400,000 inhabitants. The facility is expected to become a boost to the region’s economic and infrastructural development and a new symbol of Italian advanced engineering. The investment is estimated to cost around €13.5 billion, with funds to come from the Italian budget and capital raised in 2023.
Source: Stretto di Messina
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