Italy Approves World's Longest Single-Span Bridge: A New Era in Infrastructure

Italy has approved construction for the world's longest single-span bridge to connect Sicily to the mainland, costing €13.5 billion. The Messina Strait Bridge will span 3.7 km, feature road and rail lanes, and withstand harsh weather conditions. Opening is projected for 2032–33.

The Italian government has taken a definitive step by approving the world's longest single-span bridge project, aimed at connecting Sicily to mainland Italy. Despite financial and environmental dilemmas that delayed it for years, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's government has committed €13.5 billion over a decade to its construction.

The Messina Strait Bridge, headed by the Eurolink consortium led by construction giant Webuild and incorporating Spanish and Japanese firms, Sacyr and IHI, is set to measure an astonishing 3.7 km in length. With a suspended span of 3.30 km, the bridge will feature dual road and rail tracks, supported by towering 399-meter-high steel pylons designed to withstand winds up to 292 km/h and last 200 years.

Among its infrastructural advancements are over 40 km of roads and railway tunnels, plus three underground stations in Messina, set to enhance regional connectivity. Construction is slated to wrap within seven years, targeting an operational time frame of 2032–33.

(With inputs from agencies.)