The cabinet of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has revived a highly controversial project to build a highway bridge. It must connect Sicily to the mainland and will cost several billion euros. Critics have always questioned the viability of the seismic region between Messina and Calabria.
The Meloni cabinet has now passed a corresponding decree, which must be passed into law by parliament in the next 60 days.
Salvini: “Flagship of Italian engineering”
The 3.2-kilometer bridge is intended to “represent the flagship of Italian engineering,” said Transport Minister Matteo Salvini. The idea of such a bridge dates back to the time of the Roman Empire. However, subsequent attempts to address the project in modern times failed.
The construction project, last considered in 2011, is now “adapted to new technical safety and environmental standards,” Salvini assures.
Construction could start in mid-2024
Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose government had strongly supported the project in the 2000s and whose Forza Italia party is now part of the governing coalition again, said such a structure would “connect Sicily not only to Calabria, but to Italy and all of Europe “. Apparently there is a rush: according to Berlusconi, construction could start as early as mid-2024.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
