According to politicians, it’s full steam ahead for what will be the world’s longest suspension bridge – connecting mainland Italy with Sicily. But when you consider that this bridge has been spoken about since Roman times, it’s not surprising that local residents say they’ll believe it when they see it.
Set to cost €13.5bn (£11.8bn), the Strait of Messina Bridge will measure 3.3km (2.05 miles) in length, surpassing the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge in Turkey, which comes in at 2,023 metres. The single-span bridge will also be longer than the 2,300m Zhangjinggao Yangtze River Bridge in China, which is due to be completed in 2028.
Italy’s long-anticipated suspension bridge is controversial for a myriad of reasons, with Italians having a mixed reaction to the project. Some say it will boost tourism and bring jobs to the region, and others are horrified by the costs and disruption involved when this poverty-stricken region has more urgent priorities. In a region with a struggling health service and a school system with high drop-out rates, the project could be seen as somewhat frivolous.
Nevertheless, the bridge will transform the journey to Sicily. Currently everyone – train passengers and drivers alike – must join the ferry, which takes 30 minutes to cross the Strait of Messina. At peak times it takes a lot longer, due to the queueing involved. Whereas the bridge, supported by two 400m (1,300ft) towers, will transport three lanes of traffic, sitting either side of two central railway lines, in just ten minutes.
This is not the first time the idea of the bridge has been mooted, with the Romans first suggesting it, followed by a series of governments from the late 1960s onwards, who championed the project but never managed to make it happen. Now Prime Minister Georgia Meloni says she is committed to the project. Speaking in 2025, she said, “It is not an easy task but we consider it an investment in Italy’s present and future, and we like difficult challenges when they make sense.”
All of the previous barriers to building the bridge still apply, and include concerns around mafia fraud, escalating costs and seismic activity. The project will certainly require engineers with experience of working in an earthquake zone.
The Italian government has commissioned the Webuild Group to begin construction, although the project has already hit roadblocks. In October 2025, Italy’s court of auditors blocked the project due to financing legality concerns, and in November 2025 an Italian court ruled the bridge would go against EU environmental and tender rules.
However, it does seem that this is the closest the project may have got to fruition in its potted history. If it does go ahead, 4,000 people will be uprooted, with people being forced out of their homes on both sides of the crossing. This is the downside to such an ambitious project, with 500 houses slated for demolition.
Despite this, the project will be transformational. It’s been proven time and time again that installing a bridge helps the local economy, not just in terms of tourism but with goods and services too. If you make it easier for people to travel, then people will travel. A bridge will be much easier and more accessible than the current ferry.
OpenEconomics, a consultancy that analyses big public projects, has suggested that construction of the bridge will have a positive impact on Italy’s GDP of more than €23bn (£20bn).
A bridge spanning more than 3km will be a sight to see. However, the project may yet falter, so watch this space. In the meantime, if you need any assistance with the structural elements of an upcoming project, please do get in touch.
