The Strait Bridge: the shadow of the inquiry over the final push towards the CIPESS

It was not just Tommaso Miele. According to the prosecution, the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office’s investigation into the Strait Bridge also reveals an attempt to approach two other accounting magistrates deemed to be of use to the interests of the group in favour of the project. An attempt which, it is understood, failed, however: the two magistrates reportedly did not accept the invitations. The mechanism hypothesised by the investigators is the same one which, again according to the prosecution, the entrepreneur Vincenzo Virgiglio and the lawyer Giacomo Francesco Saccomanno allegedly put in place with the former deputy president of the Court of Auditors, Tommaso Miele, who is also under investigation. Miele was allegedly promised support for future appointments in public bodies after his retirement, in exchange for his favourable stance on the project, including updates on the progress of the proceedings before the Court of Auditors and the disclosure of confidential information regarding his colleagues’ views. The material seized by the ROS Carabinieri during searches carried out in Rome, the province of Reggio Calabria and the province of Frosinone – electronic devices and documents – will now be analysed by investigators and submitted to the public prosecutors at the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation, coordinated by Deputy Public Prosecutor Giuseppe De Falco, is proceeding on charges of corruption in the exercise of public office, corruption through acts contrary to official duties, active corruption by a public official, and the disclosure and use of official secrets.

Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani has come out in defence of the project. Minister Matteo Salvini, for the time being, is keeping quiet: he is attending the Lega’s Federal Council meeting. Lips are also sealed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where officials prefer not to comment. It is thus the Foreign Minister who is expressing confidence in the Strait Bridge: “I do not wish to interfere in the legal proceedings,” says the leader of the centre-right. “It is a major infrastructure project that must go ahead. Justice must take its course, but let us not exploit the situation. I don’t think what has happened has had a major impact.” And whilst the opposition goes on the offensive (“We must recover those thirteen and a half billion,” thunders M5S leader Giuseppe Conte), the same conciliatory tone comes from the Undersecretary to the Prime Minister with responsibility for CIPESS, Alessandro Morelli. “Let’s see what the judiciary decides,” he said. “From a purely administrative point of view, absolutely nothing changes, so the project is going ahead as planned. The aim is to build the most important infrastructure project of the century, not just for southern Italia, but for the country and for Europe.” The judicial inquiry is in full swing, with new developments shaking the already troubled path to the construction sites and investigations widening. But those in the majority willing to comment swear that the bridge will be built. At least on paper.

Following the Court of Auditors’ rejection of the previous resolution, Decree-Law No. 32 of 2026 – the so-called ‘Commissioners’ Decree’ – was drafted specifically to address the concerns raised by the Court of Auditors. And to set out the new roadmap, step by step, rewriting the necessary path to reach final approval of the project. At present, a significant portion of the required obligations has already been completed, according to the Stretto di Messina company. The Programme Agreement involving the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Ministry of the Economy, the Regions of Sicily and Calabria, RFI, ANAS and Stretto di Messina itself has been submitted to the Court of Auditors for a review of its legality. The Transport Regulatory Authority has also issued its opinion with comments on the Economic and Financial Plan, a development anticipated by Il Sole 24 Ore. The Authority, led by Nicola Zaccheo, considers the EFP to be a work in progress, and therefore one that will require continuous monitoring. It also highlights several critical issues regarding economic sustainability. The opinion of the Higher Council of Public Works, which the company has indicated is imminent, has yet to be received. This is the final technical step before the dossier returns to CIPESS for re-approval: a step which, at least in terms of the formal submission of the application, according to CEO Pietro Ciucci, should take place in the coming weeks, by the end of the month.

At the same time, discussions with the European Commission regarding the project’s compliance with EU law are continuing, the concessionaire has announced. The main issues under consideration relate to the Habitats Directive and public procurement rules: two highly sensitive matters that have already been highlighted in the Court of Auditors’ findings. Provided the timetable does not suffer further delays, the aim remains to complete the entire authorisation process by the end of the summer, with the new submission to CIPESS and the subsequent review by the Court of Auditors. At that point, the actual construction phase could begin as early as the final quarter of 2026. According to the updated schedule on the concessionaire’s calendar, the bridge will require seven and a half years of work. The opening date remains set for 2034. A timetable which, at least on paper, the Public Prosecutor’s investigation does not alter. Although the new legal front adds a further element of uncertainty to a project that has already experienced more than a few stop-and-go phases over the last three years.