Italy gives final approval for the most long suspension bridge in the world of Sicily

Rome has given a final approval of a project of 13.5 billion euros ($ 15.6 billion) to build the world’s largest suspension bridge connecting the island of Sicily to the Calabria area, at the top of the Italian shoe.

Designers claim that the bridge – which should be built on one of the most active areas of the Mediterranean – will be able to withstand earthquakes.

This is the most recent attempt by Italian officials to launch the Messina Bridge project -several over the years have tried, but later plans have been discarded due to fears about costs, environmental damage, safety or potential mafia intervention.

Prime Minister Georgia Meloni acknowledged that the most new project was not easy.

However, she said on Wednesday that she considers it a “investment in the present and future of Italy”.

“We enjoy difficult challenges when they make sense,” Meloni said.

According to the final project, the bridge over the Messina Strait will cover 3.3 km (2.05 miles) and extend between two 400-meter (1300 feet) tall towers, with two railways in the middle there will be three lanes on both sides.

Rome hopes to classify the bridge as military costs in order to be able to account for NATO’s goal of 5% of GDP spent on defense.

Transport Minister Mateo Salvini, the right -wing leader party and a government ally of Meloni, celebrates a cornerstone, saying that the aim is to finish the bridge between 2032 and 2033.

He also claims that the bridge will create 120,000 jobs a year and bring economic growth to the area. The regions of Sicily and Calabria are two of the most overwhelming in Europe.

However, the project will still have to be concluded with tires from the Italian auditors, as well as by environmental agencies, both at national and at EU level.

The locals on both sides of the strait whose properties can be alienated will also need to be consulted and can legally challenge the decision, which means that the construction of the bridge can be delayed or stopped completely.

It will not be the first time the bridge building was detained. As the first plans for it were drawn up more than 50 years ago, various ideas for it had to be delayed for various reasons and has long been confronted with strict opposition.

This includes fears that huge quantities of taxpayers will be cut off from Sicilian and Calabrian mafia, which have a widespread impact on politics and society in southern Italy.

On Wednesday, local politicians repeated their misfortune from the government’s decision.

Senator Nikola Irto of the Democratic Party (PD), called a project, was “controversial and separation”, stating that it would deflect “decisive resources from local transport, modern infrastructure, safe schools and quality health establishments.”

Gissy Kaminiti, Mayor of Villa San Giovanni near where the bridge will be built on the Calabrian coast, said its city would be heavily affected and called for more time for consultation.

The Calabrian Committee “Not on the Bridge” struck a message on Wednesday and stated that it was a political maneuver, not the result of a thorough technical evaluation.

Local groups that oppose the bridge also say that its construction would use millions of liters of water a day, while both Sicily and Calabria regularly struggle with land.

At present, the only way trains to pass through the Strait is to transfer to ferries and bring the sea to a 30-minute trip.