Euronews – Italy has long toyed with the idea of building a bridge between the island of Sicily with the mainland. The hugely ambitious engineering project was in preliminary stages for decades before being shelved in 2013. Now, Italy’s new right-wing government has said it wants to revive the plans.
Why is there no bridge from mainland Italy to Sicily?
The plans for a suspension bridge between Sicily and the mainland have not been unanimously supported. Advocates claim the connection will help boost the island’s stagnating economy and lessen the gap between the country’s wealthy north and poorer south.
Supporters also say that it will allow cargo ships arriving down the Suez Canal to transfer their goods onto trains in Sicily. This would then enable them to be transported quickly up to the north of the country, saving money on lengthy sea voyages.
The rail and road connection would also ease the pressure on the overcrowded ferry services that shuttle cars, lorries and trains over the Strait of Messina.
But critics maintain that the gigantic bridge would be a waste of public funds and a risky undertaking in an active seismic zone. Environmentalists also warn of the risk to local ecosystems and the aesthetic damage to the landscape.
