Italy: “a Historic Day” for the Bridge Over The Strait of Messina

Aug. 9—The Italian Government Committee for Economic Planning and Sustainable Development (CIPESS), the supreme court, so to speak, to authorize public works, gave the final green light Aug. 6 for the construction of the long discussed and delayed Messina Bridge, the 3.3 km long suspended bridge that will connect Sicily to the Italian mainland.

After more than one year of delays provoked by Green and/or bureaucratic opposition, the reviewed executive project was presented at the CIPESS Aug. 5. The CIPESS is chaired by the Prime Minister and is composed of several ministers, including Infrastructure (Salvini), Finance, Economy, Environment, and others.

As confirmed to EIR News by Prof. Alberto Prestininzi, coordinator of the Scientific Advisory Board of the bridge project, through the government act this Aug. 6, the infrastructure is state law. It cannot be stopped, even if the government is toppled. “It is irreversible,” Prof. Prestininzi said. Pro-bridge groups have described the Aug. 6 as a historic date.

Prior to the CIPESS deliberation, a contract was signed between the Eurolink consortium, which will build the bridge, and the Stretto di Messina concessionary company. The Eurolink consortium is composed of the Italian Webuild, the Spanish Sacyr, and the Japanese IHI groups. There is now nothing in the way of the construction of the world’s longest suspension bridge, which will complete the Trans-European Corridor 5 and will change the face of Sicily and other Southern Italian regions.