Italy approves Sicily Messina Bridge, set to break world record previously held by Turkey

Italy has officially approved one of its most debated infrastructure projects—the Messina Strait Bridge, which will connect the island of Sicily to the mainland region of Calabria. Once completed, the bridge is expected to be the world’s longest suspension bridge, with a central span of 3.6 kilometers, surpassing Turkey’s record-holding 1915 Çanakkale Bridge.


The final go-ahead was granted by Italy’s Economic Planning and Sustainable Development Committee on August 6. In a press conference, Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini announced, “This will be the world’s longest single-span bridge. Turkey currently holds the record, but we are about to change that.”

The project was awarded to the Eurolink consortium through an international tender. The consortium includes major construction and engineering firms such as Italy’s Webuild, Spain’s Sacyr, and Japan’s IHI. According to Webuild, the Messina Bridge will feature a 3,300-meter suspension span—roughly one kilometer longer than its Turkish counterpart.

Designed to accommodate both road and rail traffic, the bridge is expected to significantly improve connectivity between Sicily and mainland Italy, benefiting both passengers and freight transport. Authorities aim to open the bridge to the public between 2032 and 2033.

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