ROME – Italy’s Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning and Sustainable Development on Wednesday granted the final authorisation for a €13.5 billion project to span the Strait of Messina, clearing the way for construction of what would be the world’s longest single-span suspension bridge linking Sicily to the mainland. Preliminary geological and archaeological surveys are expected to begin later this year, with full-scale building slated for the second half of 2025 and completion targeted for 2032. The bridge will extend 3.7 kilometres, including a 3.3-kilometre central span supported by two 400-metre pylons. Its design provides three traffic lanes in each direction flanking a double-track railway, allowing up to 6,000 vehicles an hour and 200 trains a day. Engineers say the structure can withstand strong winds and major earthquakes in the seismically active strait. Construction will be carried out by the Eurolink consortium led by Italian builder Webuild, alongside Spain’s Sacyr and Japan’s IHI. Rome has committed the funding over a decade, arguing the project will generate more than 100,000 jobs and revitalise the economies of Sicily and Calabria. The Meloni government also intends to classify the bridge as dual-use infrastructure so that part of the cost counts toward Italy’s pledge to raise defence spending under NATO guidelines. Environmental organisations have lodged a complaint with the European Union, warning of potential harm to migratory bird routes and marine ecosystems, while opposition politicians question building a megaproject in an earthquake zone and fear possible mafia infiltration of contracts. The national audit court must still validate the CIPESS resolution before expropriations and other preparatory works can proceed.