Construction of the long-stalled suspension bridge between Sicily and mainland Italy could begin this year following the recent ratification of the design supplied by the original turnkey contractor. At 3,300 m, or more than 10,800 feet, the bridge would break the world record for span if construction went ahead.
“After the many other ‘Messina Style’ bridges built around the world, now is the time to build the one over the Strait of Messina,” according to Pietro Ciucci, CEO of state project sponsor Stretto di Messina SpA (SdM).
With three vehicle lanes in each direction and a center lane for one lane, the deck would provide a 1,970-foot-wide navigation channel with 215 feet of headroom. The airfoil is designed to withstand 180 mph winds and also survive 7.1 Richter earthquakes.
The bridge is estimated to cost about $5 billion and take about seven years to build. SdM calculates a necessary workforce of around 4,300 people.
It is not the first time that SdM has launched the politically controversial project, promoted by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. In 2005, SdM signed a turnkey contract with the Eurolink consortium.
But the project was shelved by a new government in 2006 and revived when Berlusconi returned to power two years later. When the design was approved in 2011, the whole plan was put back on ice only to be unfrozen again last year by another government.
It is the 2011 design, with modifications, that has been reconfirmed. Several official bodies will now review the plan while SdM establishes a funding plan. The company hopes to get approval from the Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning and Sustainable Development around this June.
Eurolink has remained close to the project throughout the process. Led by Webuild SpA, the consortium includes Sacyr, Condotte d’Acqua, CMC, IHI and Consorzio ACI. Denmark’s Cowi A/S with Dissing+Weitling A/S are the team designers.
Gearing up for construction, last year Webuild appointed Gianni De Gennaro as President of Eurolink. He has held senior positions in the police and security and chaired the state-controlled aerospace and defense conglomerate Leonardo SpA.
In a statement, Webuild noted De Gennaro’s “institutional and corporate experience, as well as his unwavering commitment to integrity, transparency and advancements in security and law.”
