The Strait of Messina Bridge has officially entered the implementation phase. Italy’s Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning and Sustainable Development (CIPESS) has approved the definitive design for the bridge, which will have the world's longest suspended span. The project also includes a series of complementary works of strategic importance to the region. The approval follows the signing of the Addendum to the Contract between Stretto di Messina, the Concessionaire, and Eurolink, the General Contractor. The value of the contract addendum is worth €10.6 billion and will come into effect upon publication in Italy's journal of record.
The definition of this project has had the strong support of the concessionaire Stretto di Messina, led by Webuild, with Sacyr having a 22.4% stake, both global leaders in large infrastructure projects, including relevant bridges around the world. Other construction companies also participate in the concessionaire: Japan’s IHI and the Italian firms Condotte and Itinera. The design team also has extensive experience in the construction of suspended bridges, such as the Danish COWI.
The project consists of the construction of a bridge with a deck spanning 3,666 meters. The central span will be 3,300 meters long, making it the longest suspension bridge in the world. The deck, approximately 60 meters wide, will have three vehicle lanes in each direction, two railway lies, and two service lanes, guaranteeing a fast, stable, and efficient connection between the peninsula and Sicily, home to five million people. The structure will be able to support the passage of up to 200 trains a day and 6,000 vehicles an hour.
The steel towers will reach 399 meters in height, and the suspension system will consist of cables 1.26 meters in diameter and 5,320 meters in length – an engineering first. The bridge will be designed to withstand seismic activity and extreme winds and will feature an intelligent monitoring system to ensure safety and oversee predictive maintenance work.
The complementary works related to the bridge are a fundamental part of the project. These consist of a network of infrastructure and connections to be built on both sides of the strait, including more than 40 kilometers of roads and railway lines. Functional connections to the bridge will be built, as well as non-functional works related to it (three train stations in Messina and a multi-purpose center in Calabria). Environmental mitigation and compensation initiatives are also planned.
In Calabria, road connections will extend approximately 10 kilometers, while the railway lines will total 2.7 kilometers. These will connect with the historic Tyrrhenian line and with the future high-speed/high-capacity line between Salerno and Reggio Calabria. In the municipality of Villa San Giovanni, Piale, a multi-purpose center will be built to house activities related to project management, and will include services such as shops, restaurants, and a convention center.
In Sicily, 10.4 kilometers of roads and 17.5 kilometers of railway lines will be built, which will connect with the existing regional network between Messina-Catania and Messina-Palermo. The planned works include three railway stations in Messina (Papardo, Annunziata, Europa) that will offer a transport service to connect the bridge with the university, hospitals, and the city center.
These complementary works will profoundly transform mobility of the two regions, while protecting the immediate surroundings. It is estimated that 12 million cubic meters will be excavated in earthworks in Sicily and 4.5 million in Calabria, which will be used for the construction of roads and environmental restoration along the Tyrrhenian coast.
The deck’s clearance above sea level will be 72 meters, with a width of 600 meters. Under normal traffic conditions, with with a full load of vehicle lanes and two passenger trains passing simultaneously, the clearance will be 70 meters. These parameters meet or exceed the standards of other existing bridges that cross major international shipping lanes.
The Strait of Messina Bridge is part of an investment program to provide Southern Italy with modern and sustainable infrastructure that improves its connections with the rest of the country and other parts of Europe. The project will be part of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), designed to integrate further Southern Italy at a logistic, economic and social level and reinforce its strategic role in Europe and in the Mediterranean.
