- Italy’s government has approved the long-awaited bridge project linking Sicily to the mainland.
- The 3.7km suspension bridge will be the world’s longest single-span bridge, surpassing Turkey’s Canakkale Bridge.
- Construction is expected to start in the second half of 2025.
- First proposed in the 1960s, the project has faced decades of delays due to environmental concerns, seismic risks, cost issues, and fears of mafia infiltration.
- Estimated cost: €13.5 billion.
- Rome intends to classify the project as “defence spending”, underlining its strategic value.
- Supporters argue it will drive economic growth in southern Italy.
