Italy has taken a major step toward realising the transformative Strait of Messina Bridge project, receiving approval from the Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning and Sustainable Development (CIPESS).
The bridge, set to have the longest suspension span in the world, is a flagship initiative aimed at significantly improving mobility between Sicily and the Italian mainland.
Pietro Salini, Chief Executive of Webuild, the project’s general contractor leader through the Eurolink partnership, hailed the decision as a symbol of national unity and industrial confidence.
He stated: “Italy has shown once again how it can come together around a mega project that will be transformative for the whole country.
“The decision made by CIPESS to approve the marks the start of a new season of vision, courage and confidence in the capabilities of Italian industry and the entire infrastructure sector.”
The bridge’s central suspended span will stretch 3,300 metres, making it the longest in the world, and the overall deck will measure 3,666 metres in length.
Salini expressed pride in the collaboration underpinning the massive undertaking, stating: “We are particularly proud to be part of the Bridge project – strongly promoted by the Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport and the Italian government, and firmly supported by the concessionaire company Stretto di Messina – as leader of the general contractor, Eurolink, working together with the world’s best engineering talent and a vast and excellent Italian supply chain from the north to the south of the country.”
He highlighted the broad impact the project will have, describing it as “a great infrastructure project spread out across many work sites contemporaneously.
“It will stimulate growth, employment and lawfulness across southern Italy.
“The project will be fitted with the most advanced technologies for safety and maintenance. It will also be built according to the highest international engineering standards.
“It will serve as an extraordinary opportunity for the future of young people.
“Talented Italian engineers, managers and workers from the sector will finally have the possibility to work in their home country on one of the most challenging projects in the world.”
Webuild’s CEO also underscored the company’s international expertise and longstanding service to Italy, noting their involvement in major infrastructure projects worldwide, including hydropower in Australia, highways in the United States, dams in Saudi Arabia, and the largest hydropower dam in Africa.
“With a unique expertise developed on the world’s most challenging projects, a team of 95,000 people, and a network of 17,500 suppliers, we are working on some of the biggest infrastructure projects across all continents,” Salini said.
Reflecting on Webuild’s Italian legacy, he added: “We have been at the service of the country for 120 years.
“Our history is linked to public works that have marked the country’s progress: high-speed railways; the ‘Autostrada del Sole’ highway; metro lines in major cities; hospitals, stadiums, and dams.
“Today, with 30 strategic projects and 18,500 people at work, we continue to strengthen Italy’s competitiveness with infrastructure such as the and the high-speed railways.
“And in Southern Italy, we are carrying out 19 major projects that involve approximately 9,000 employees.
“From the high-speed railway between Naples and Bari to the Ionian highway in Calabria to the expansion of the railway between Palermo, Catania and Messina, we are investing in safety, innovation and training at schools created locally to prepare future generations for our sector.”
The Strait of Messina Bridge will anchor an integrated infrastructure system featuring more than 40 kilometres of new roads and rail lines, three underground train stations, around ten viaducts, various tunnels, and a cutting-edge multifunctional centre.
This complex of complementary works will significantly boost mobility in southern Italy, connecting with Sicily’s railway line between Palermo, Catania, and Messina, as well as the future Salerno-Reggio Calabria high-speed/high-capacity railway.
The approval by CIPESS marks the commencement of a large-scale project anticipated to bring considerable growth, development, and enhanced connectivity to the region, while showcasing Italy’s engineering prowess and industrial capacity.
The robust collaboration between government, industry leaders, and an extensive Italian supply chain underscores the ambitious scope and national significance of the Strait of Messina Bridge.