World’s Longest Suspension Bridge to Link Sicily to Italy
- Editor OGN Daily
- Aug 22
- 2 min read
Italy has taken a giant step towards realizing a goal first envisioned thousands of years ago. With two pillars, each about the height of the Empire State Building.
Earlier this month, the Italian government and the architectural firm Webuild announced final approval measures to begin construction of the world’s longest suspension bridge. At over two miles long, the Ponte Stretto Messina will stretch across the Messina Strait, finally offering a direct transportation link between the island of Sicily and mainland Italy. The monumental $15 billion project is scheduled for completion around 2033.
Since time immemorial, travellers have needed a vessel to cross Messina Strait separating Sicily from the mainland. Historical records indicate the desire to build a bridge connecting the landmasses dates back millennia to ancient Rome, and today the easiest and fastest way to commute between the island and the mainland is still aboard a boat - currently one of the daily 30-minute ferry rides across the strait.
The 2.24-mile-wide bridge seeks to not only dramatically cut down that travel time, but also offer multiple transportation options. Webuild’s current design includes three car lanes on both sides, with a two-lane train route hurtling down the nearly 200-foot-wide deck. The suspension support itself will come in the form of a pair of 1,309-foot-tall ground-based towers - each about the height of the Empire State Building.
A significant reason why Italy has never built a bridge across the Messina Strait is the region’s seismic activity, which ranks the highest in the Mediterranean. The strait also frequently experiences high wind gusts, and is a major hub for shipping vessel transport. However, Webuild says it can overcome both of these issues.
“Suspended bridges are the most seismic reliable structures since they have a low sensitivity to earthquakes,” the firm argues on its website. “As a fact, a great number of this kind of structure is built in areas of greater seismic hazard compared to the Strait of Messina, such as California, Turkey or Japan.”
It's Italy, so it could take another millennia to complete. But let's hope not.
