Italy approves 13.5 billion euro Messina Strait Bridge project
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Italy has approved the 13.5 billion euro Messina Strait Bridge project linking Sicily to the mainland. The bridge will have a 3.3 km main span, the world's longest suspension bridge. The project faces opposition from seismologists and environmental scientists due to high earthquake risk in the strait.
Key Facts
- The Messina Strait Bridge project has a budget of 13.5 billion euros.
- The bridge will have a main span of 3.3 kilometers, making it the world's longest suspension bridge.
- The bridge will connect Torre Faro in Sicily with Villa San Giovanni in Calabria.
- The bridge will include 6 vehicle lanes, 2 service lanes, and 2 railway lines.
- The Messina Strait is one of Europe's most active earthquake zones, with a 1908 earthquake killing over 80,000 people.
Project Details
The bridge will connect Torre Faro in Sicily with Villa San Giovanni in Calabria. It will have 6 vehicle lanes, 2 service lanes, and 2 railway lines. The main span of 3.3 kilometers is designed to set a world record for suspension bridges. The project budget is 13.5 billion euros.
Seismic Risk
The Messina Strait is one of Europe's most active earthquake zones, remembered for the 1908 disaster that killed over 80,000 people. Italian geologists report three fault systems in the area capable of producing earthquakes of magnitude 7 or higher. Sicily and Calabria are moving apart by about 2 to 3 millimeters per year. Over 5,000 small earthquakes have been recorded in the region in the last 40 years. Experts warn that a major earthquake could exert destructive pressure on the tower foundations and cable anchorages.
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