• Italy has given the green light for the construction of the world's longest suspension bridge, linking Sicily to the mainland.
• The €13.5 billion project aims to boost economic growth and create jobs in southern Italy.
• Opposition groups are gearing up for a legal battle over environmental concerns and property expropriations.
• The bridge will be built over a seismic fault line, raising concerns about safety and environmental impacts.
• Authorities aim to complete the bridge by 2033, following years of delays due to various challenges.

The Italian government has approved a long-discussed plan to construct the world’s longest suspension bridge, the Strait of Messina Bridge, which will link the island of Sicily to the mainland. The project is valued at €13.5 billion (approximately $15.8 billion) and aims to create significant economic opportunities in southern Italy, as detailed by Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, who characterized it as “the biggest infrastructure project in the West” according to SCMP, BBC, and TRT.

Set to span 3.3 kilometers (2.05 miles), the bridge will include three lanes of traffic and two railway lines, significantly reducing travel time across the Strait from 100 minutes by ferry to just 10 minutes by car. This ambitious project marks a political victory for Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, although it has faced years of scrutiny and previous cancellations due to concerns over cost, environmental impact, and mafia involvement, as reported by Newsweek and Al Jazeera.

The bridge project has come under fire from local residents and environmentalists who contend that construction could disrupt the local ecosystem and involve significant property expropriations. More than 440 properties are estimated to be affected on both the Sicilian and Calabrian sides. The legal battles anticipated from opposition groups may delay the project further, challenging the government's push to commence work as early as October, according to Reuters and SCMP.

Critics voice concerns regarding the project’s vulnerability given its location on an active seismic fault, recalling the devastating earthquake that struck the area in 1908. The construction is planned with structural reinforcements to withstand significant seismic forces, akin to methods successfully applied in other earthquake-prone regions like Japan and Turkey. Nevertheless, environmental groups have lodged formal complaints with the EU regarding potential impacts on migratory birds and local habitats, as highlighted by Al Jazeera and Newsweek.

Given the complexity and contentious history of this project, which dates back to proposals by the ancient Romans, the Italian government is emphasizing the potential economic benefits while seeking to safeguard against organized crime influence in construction contracts. Salvini has expressed confidence that safeguards will prevent mafia involvement, crucial in light of the region's history with the Cosa Nostra and 'Ndrangheta organizations, according to Reuters and TRT.