Locals fight £12bn bridge linking Sicily to mainland

The Italian government has given final approval for the construction of what would be the world’s longest single-span bridge, connecting Sicily to the mainland, a decision that immediately sets the stage for a potential legal battle.

- ANGELO AMANTE

The colossal project, spanning the Strait of Messina, was formally sanctioned by the prime minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing government on Wednesday, with €13.5bn (£12bn) earmarked for its development. This ambitious undertaking, first conceived by the ancient Romans, has been under discussion for more than 50 years but now faces the prospect of further delays.

"They could offer me three times the value of my house, but that doesn't matter to me. What matters is the landscape. They must not touch the Strait of Messina," said Mariolina De Francesco, a 75-year-old living in the Sicilian city of Messina.

More than 440 properties will have to be expropriated on the Sicilian side and in the Calabria region on the mainland to make way for the 3.7km (2.3-mile) bridge and connecting roads and railways.

"Our lawyers will take action, and we will stop them. That's guaranteed," said Ms De Francesco, whose house lies near the site of one of the bridge's planned 399m-tall land towers. Infrastructure minister Matteo Salvini said preliminary works should start in September-October, and has promised generous compensation to those required to surrender their property. The bridge is due for completion in 2032.