Italy’s controversial plan to build a bridge connecting Sicily to the mainland cleared its final hurdle on Wednesday, as the government’s €13.5-billion project received definitive approval from the CIPESS economic planning committee.
The suspension bridge, set to become the longest in the world at 3.3 kilometres, will link Calabria and Sicily via road and rail. Construction is expected to begin between September and October, with completion targeted for 2032 or 2033, according to Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini.
“If we keep going as we have started, the goal is to be able to cross the bridge between 2032 and 2033,” Salvini told reporters. “Now the stamp of the Court of Auditors is needed, but I count on starting with construction sites, works and expropriations between September and October.”
The full project also includes 40 kilometres of connecting infrastructure, three new train stations, and a business centre in Calabria.
First conceived over 50 years ago, the bridge project has long been delayed due to its high cost, environmental concerns, seismic risks, and fears of mafia infiltration. It was revived by Salvini after the right-wing coalition came to power in the 2022 general election.
Salvini acknowledged past concerns but promised round-the-clock monitoring to prevent organised crime from interfering in the project. “Countering any attempt of infiltration will be our raison d’être,” he said. “We have to watch the whole supply chain so that it is impervious to ill-intentioned people.”
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also welcomed CIPESS‘s approval, calling the bridge “a strategic project for the development of the entire nation”. Describing it as “as impressive as it is cutting-edge”, she said it would benefit both present and future generations.
However, criticism has been swift and vocal.
“Greatest waste of public money”
Green-Left Alliance (AVS) MP Angelo Bonelli condemned the plan’s approval as “the greatest waste of public money ever seen in Italy”. He said it would cost taxpayers €14.6 billion without any private investment, and argued that local communities need basic services, not a megaproject.
“The regions involved, Sicily and Calabria, need infrastructure for the well-being of their citizens, such as railways, drinking water, and transportation, not a bridge,” Bonelli said.
Environmental groups have also raised alarms over the seismic risks, pointing out that one of the bridge’s pylons would stand on an active fault line. Bonelli accused the government of ignoring expert opinions and pursuing the project out of “pure arrogance”.
The bridge was once a flagship proposal of the late Silvio Berlusconi. Salvini has now taken up the mantle, making the plan central to his infrastructure agenda, despite fierce opposition.
With the final green light granted, all eyes now turn to autumn, when the first groundwork is due to begin.
