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Italy's Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini has urged the government to move forward with the construction of the long-discussed bridge linking Sicily to the mainland, despite the court of auditors blocking its approval. The project, estimated at 13.5 billion euros (USD 15.7 billion), has been debated for decades due to cost, environmental, and legal issues. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has met senior officials to assess the situation as the government considers whether to bypass the court's decision and proceed with the plan.
Italy's Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini has asked the government to proceed with the plan to build a bridge connecting Sicily to the mainland, despite a court ruling that stopped the project. Salvini said the bridge is crucial for the local economy, arguing that halting it would affect investment, job creation, and several industries linked to construction and logistics. Advertisement
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni held a meeting with senior advisers to discuss the court of auditors' decision to withhold approval for the project, which is expected to cost around 13.5 billion euros (USD 15.7 billion). The court has not yet released its written explanation, but during recent hearings, lawyers questioned the validity of the 2005 tender and raised concerns over the significant rise in the project's estimated cost.
The government still has the authority to move forward despite the court's stance, though doing so could lead to further legal action from opponents. Salvini, who leads the League party, said his plan is to bring the project back before the cabinet for reapproval, after which parliament would need to give its consent. He emphasised that billions of euros, hundreds of thousands of jobs, and thousands of companies were ready to take part, calling the halt unjustified.
Meloni criticised the court's ruling and viewed it as a politically motivated move. The decision comes amid ongoing tension between the government and the judiciary over proposed legal system reforms currently awaiting a parliamentary vote. Although Meloni expressed support for infrastructure development, it is unclear whether she will endorse a direct challenge to the court, as the bridge plan is strongly associated with Salvini, who revived it after it was dropped in 2012 due to high costs.
The proposed 3.7-kilometre (2.3-mile) suspension bridge would connect Messina in Sicily with Calabria on the Italian mainland. Critics have raised environmental concerns and pointed out that the region is prone to earthquakes, making such a large structure risky. Environmental groups and several local organisations have long opposed the idea, warning that it could cause ecological harm and strain public finances.
The project was first awarded to the Eurolink consortium, led by Italy's Webuild along with Spain's Sacyr and Japan's IHI, following an international tender held about 20 years ago. The original estimate stood at 3.8 billion euros, but over time, revised plans, design updates, and inflation have raised the projected cost by nearly four times.
The Sicily bridge proposal has been a recurring topic in Italian politics since the early 2000s. Several governments have revived or shelved it over the years due to shifting political priorities and financial constraints. Salvini's renewed push aims to position the bridge as a key national infrastructure project, but it continues to divide opinion across political, environmental, and legal circles.
Source Reuters
5th Jun, 2025
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