Strait of Messina Suspension Bridge, set to connect Sicily to Italy, gets long-awaited approval amid mafia and quake warnings; read here

A bridge that has been a part of discussions since 1969 has finally received approval after being approved and cancelled several times by the Giorgia Meloni administration. The Strait of Messina Bridge, which would be the world’s longest suspension bridge, would connect the island of Sicily to the mainland of Italy in a $15.5 billion project stretching over 2 miles, according to The Associated Press (AP).

Ancient roots of the Sicily-Italy bridge idea

The idea of building a bridge linking the Italian mainland to Sicily is believed to date back to Ancient Rome when the Romans tried to transport 100 elephants captured at the Battle of Panormus in 250 BC. Some also connect the concept to Homer’s "Odyssey," citing Scylla and Charybdis.

The Strait of Messina features

According to news agency AP, the Strait of Messina would have the capacity to hold around 6,000 cars an hour and 200 trains a day, with four lanes of traffic bordered by a double-track railway, AP reported.

Opponents of the bridge, environmental and mafia concerns

As the Strait of Messina bridge receives approval, opponents of the bridge cite environmental, safety, and even mafia concerns. In an analysis by Anna Sergi, a sociologist and expert in criminal law, published by the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI), she deemed the bridge "unnecessary."

She further warned that the project would be "vulnerable to global mafia appetites," asserting that similar public works have historically been co-opted by organized crime. "The attraction of large-scale works for the corrupt and the mafia is that the realization and social utility of the work are of marginal interest," she said, as quoted by FOX News.

"The more the realization is diluted over time, the more technical difficulties produce delays, and the more there are new investments or changes to the original project, the malign actors will be able to fill their pockets," wrote Segi.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella reiterated the project would still be subject to anti-mafia legislation that applies to all large-scale infrastructure projects, according to AP. Some worry about earthquakes from the Messina fault, which separates Sicily from mainland Italy; it caused a deadly quake in 1908.