Overview

• A government economic-planning committee endorsed the design for a 3.7 km suspension span that would surpass Turkey’s Canakkale Bridge as the world’s longest.
• Preliminary works are slated to start in late September or early October, pending approval from Italy’s Court of Audit, with full construction set to begin in 2026.
• Transport Minister Matteo Salvini says the bridge could generate up to 120,000 jobs per year and strengthen NATO defence infrastructure by classifying it as security-related.
• About 10,000 residents marched in Messina over the weekend to oppose the project, citing seismic dangers, ecological impacts and fears of mafia infiltration.
• Roughly 500 expropriated families have filed legal appeals and environmental groups have lodged complaints with the EU, underscoring ongoing judicial and regulatory hurdles.