Italian project under question

A fresh set of problems has hit the long planned Messina Straits Bridge in Italy. There is now reduced funding available for the project from the Italian Government.
March 15, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A fresh set of problems has hit the long planned Messina Straits Bridge in Italy. There is now reduced funding available for the project from the Italian Government. Some €1.6 billion that had originally been planned for this landmark project is now being used to pay for other infrastructure work, including the Naples-Bari, Foggia-Potenza and Messina-Catania railway.

The Messina Straits Bridge project is being handled by a consortium comprising Italian contractor 3149 Impregilo and Spanish firm 3959 Sacyr. When this consortium was awarded the bridge project in 2005 the estimated cost of building the structure was some €4.4 billion. By the time the project was given the go-ahead in July 2011 the cost had spiralled to €8.5 billion.

Because the Italian interdepartmental committee for economic planning (CIPE) has used the €1.62 billion funding for other projects, the future of the Messina Straits Bridge is now in question.

This move has been welcomed by environmental associations that are pushing for the Italian Government to reject the project. The Italian Government is considering cancelling all compensation payments agreed in the case of the contract being cancelled. Should the whole project be officially withdrawn, it is possible that no compensation would be paid. With Italy's economy struggling at present, there are questions as to whether the major investment required can be found. This much heralded structure is intended to provide a link between mainland Italy and the island of Sicily. However it has a chequered history that has seen the project being announced as going ahead and then being cancelled on more than one occasion.
Road Structures

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Controversial Russian bridge opens
    May 16, 2018
    The first stage of a controversial Russian bridge project is now complete, with the link opening to use by cars. The Kerch Strait bridge spans the Black Sea, connecting Russia’s Taman Peninsula in Krasnodar with Crimea, the latter having been controversially annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014. The official opening of the 19km-long bridge was carried out by Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, who drove across the link in a Kamaz truck to reach the city of Kerch. The US$2.7 billion bridge forms part of
    Read More
  • Delays on Slovakian projects
    July 9, 2012
    Work on several new highways being built in Slovakia as public-private partnerships (PPPs) will be delayed by six to 12 months. This means that the first sections of the Martin-Presov link will not open before 2011. The last section is expected to be completed in either late 2012 or early 2013.
    Read More
  • Colombia bridges for redesign and repairs
    October 12, 2020
    Two key Colombian bridges are to be redesigned and repaired.
    Read More
  • Chinese Government taking steps to reduce vehicle exhaust pollution
    November 15, 2013
    As a modern bustling megacity, Beijing is undergoing a fast growth rate and the country’s economic development has seen vehicle numbers increase rapidly, both in its capital and in other major cities. However, the recent pollution problems that hit several of China’s major cities, including capital Beijing, have underscored the need to reduce vehicle exhaust emissions in the country. The Chinese Government has recognised the need to address the problems of air pollution and congestion and Beijing in particu
    Read More

Highlighted Content