World’s longest suspension bridge planned to link Sicily with mainland Italy for €13.4 billion

A huge suspension bridge planned across the Strait of Messina is taking shape as one of Italy’s most ambitious infrastructure projects. The 3,666-meter structure will connect Sicily with Calabria, creating a permanent road and rail link between the island and mainland Italy.

The project has been approved, with completion scheduled for 2032-2033, according to Express. Its central span would measure about 3,300 meters, which would make it the longest central span ever built for a suspension bridge. The deck would carry six vehicle lanes, three in each direction, alongside two railway lines.

The planned bridge would be able to handle up to 6,000 vehicles an hour and about 200 trains a day. Additional road and rail connections would link it to existing infrastructure, with some sections built through tunnels.

Two supporting towers would each stand 399 meters high, taller than the Empire State Building. Four main cables, each about 1.26 meters in diameter, would support the structure. Engineers also designed the deck with an aerodynamic, wing-like profile to reduce the effects of wind, and the project is intended to withstand winds of up to 216 kilometers per hour.

Earthquake resistance is a central feature because the Strait of Messina lies in a seismically active area. Stretto di Messina says the bridge is designed to withstand a magnitude 7.1 earthquake without losing stability. The bridge and related works are estimated to cost about £11.5 billion, or roughly €13.4 billion at current exchange rates.