The project to build this bridge across the Strait of Messina, which will connect the Italian Peninsula with Sicily by road, has recently been revived. This project could boost job creation in the area.
Plans to build the bridge have been in place for years. This bridge was going to be main span of 3,300 meters and more than 5 kilometers in total length. It also had several lanes of traffic in each direction and two railroad tracks. The project even included up to two pedestrian lanes.
On this bridge, the deck would have been at a about 64 meters high, approximately, and would have had two towers nearly 400 meters tall.
One of the challenges the project would pose is that the bridge would be located in a seismic zone. Another problem is the strong winds in the area, which has had to endure gusts of up to 200 kilometers per hour.
It is estimated that the construction of this structure could create up to 100,000 jobs, which will provide an economic boost for Sicily and Calabria.
The cost of the bridge over the Strait of Messina could be a cost of about 8.6 billion euros and it would be part of an infrastructure plan to improve mobility in southern Italy. The project could begin in about three months.
