Bridge over the Strait: the Higher Council for Public Works gives the go-ahead for the detailed design
In a press release, the MIT announced that the body had unanimously approved the proposal
The General Assembly of the Higher Council of Public Works, convened to examine and discuss the permanent link between Sicily and Calabria, unanimously gave the go-ahead for the next phase of the detailed design.
This is stated in a press release from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, following
the Council of Ministers’ approval on 5 August of the resolution on the ‘compelling reasons of overriding public interest’ for the Messina Strait Bridge, as part of the procedures set out in Article 6.4 of the EU Habitats Directive, which had been hailed by the MIT as ‘an important step confirming that the process for the Messina Strait Bridge is moving forward, particularly given that the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and the Environmental Impact Screening (VIncA) procedures have been successfully completed’.
The final design, approved in 2011 by the Board of Directors of the Stretto di Messina Company, provides for the construction of a bridge with a single span of 3,300 metres, which will accommodate three lanes of traffic in each direction, two service lanes and two railway tracks.
Occhiuto: the bridge that drives development
“The bridge across the Strait would be a major catalyst for development in Calabria and Sicily. The eyes of the world would be on the cities of Reggio and Messina. It would be a shame to let this opportunity go to waste. I hope that work can begin soon,” commented Roberto Occhiuto, President of the Calabria Region and national deputy secretary of Forza Italia.
