Italy’s Lega party has proposed strict anti-mafia measures for the Strait of Messina bridge project, a long-delayed infrastructure plan. The bridge aims to connect Sicily and Calabria, replacing ferry services with a fixed road and rail link across the strait.
First proposed in the 1960s, the Messina Bridge project has faced repeated delays due to political, financial and environmental concerns. The current government revived the plan in 2023, with construction scheduled to begin in 2025 and completion expected by 2032. Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini is leading the renewed push, calling the bridge a symbol of national unity.
However, Salvini first suggested work would start on the bridge in summer 2024. In November 2024, the project cost rose to €13.5billion.
The Lega’s proposed law introduces strict anti-mafia checks on all contracts, supplies and services linked to the massive construction project. Party sources say the law mirrors successful oversight models used for the Genoa bridge rebuild, Expo 2015, and recent Olympic preparations.
The legislation will undergo review as part of the debate on the infrastructure decree-law currently before Parliament. The project involves over 100,000 workers and thousands of companies, raising fears about possible infiltration by organised crime groups.
Proposed rules designed to protect public funds
Lega officials say the proposed rules will help protect public funds and ensure transparency during all phases of the build.
“The goal is to guarantee maximum oversight,” the party said, adding that mafia infiltration must be blocked at every level.
Salvini has previously stressed the importance of the bridge in boosting southern Italy’s economy and improving transport links nationwide. The single-span suspension bridge would be the longest in the world, stretching 3.3 kilometres across the Strait of Messina.
While the project continues to face opposition, particularly from environmental groups, the government remains committed to moving it forward.
