The Italian government has issued an executive order aimed at removing the last obstacle to beginning construction of the Bridge over the Strait of Messina ("Messina Bridge"), connecting Sicily to the Italian mainland. The long-overdue work had been blocked by a ruling by Italy’s Court of Accounts, which had raised objections of bureaucratic and environmental nature.
Although the government has supplemented the required documentation and provided specific responses to the court, the last word has not yet been pronounced. It is not excluded that the court, which is influenced by Malthusian forces, will find new pretexts to delay the work.
The Messina Bridge poses unprecedented technical challenges because of its length. At 3.3 km, it will be the longest suspension bridge in the world. In order to produce the best of the best, its project has been elaborated by a joint team from countries with most experience in bridge-building (outside of China): Italy, Japan, and Denmark. The team has elaborated a new type of deck, aimed at offering the least resistance to winds. It is called a Messina-type deck and has been already used in the construction of the Çanakkale bridge over the Dardanelles which, with “only” its 2.02-km span, is currently the world’s longest suspension bridge. With its 386 meter towers, the Messina Bridge will require several hundred tonnes of steel, roughly estimated at 345,000 tonnes, making it one of the most steel-intensive bridges ever conceptualized. This does not include the wide-ranging modernization of the railway lines to and from the bridge on both sides.
As soon as the Court of Accounts gives the green light, preliminary work will start, which consist of:
Tracks and roads: Construction of routes for construction vehicles separated from ordinary traffic.
Logistics: Preparation of base camps and service areas.
