MESSINA: Italy’s decision to approve the construction between Sicily and the mainland of what would be the world’s longest single-span bridge has set the stage for a legal battle that could further delay a project first conceived by the ancient Romans.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government gave its final approval for the bridge over the Strait of Messina on Wednesday, earmarking 13.5 billion euros ($15.8bn) for a project that has been under discussion for more than 50 years.

“They could offer me three times the value of my house, but that doesn’t matter to me. What matters is the landscape. They must not touch the Strait of Messina,” said Mariolina De Francesco, a 75-year-old living in the Sicilian city of Messina.

More than 440 properties will have to be expropriated on the Sicilian side and in the Calabria region on the mainland to make way for the 3.7-km bridge and connecting roads and railways.

“Our lawyers will take action, and we will stop them. That’s guaranteed,” said De Francesco, whose house lies near the site of one of the bridge’s planned 399-metre-tall land towers. Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini said preliminary works should start in September-October, and has promised generous compensation to those required to surrender their property. The bridge is due for completion in 2032.

The Messina Strait Company overseeing the project is bracing for a big legal fight.

“Legal appeals certainly keep me busy because they waste a lot of our time,” its CEO Pietro Ciucci told La Stampa newspaper.

Environmental groups this week filed a complaint with the European Union, flagging serious risks for the local ecosystem.

The Torre Faro district, on the northern edge of Messina, includes a nature reserve surrounding two ponds, and Calabria appears within arm’s reach when strolling along the seafront.

Committees of `No Bridge’ residents say the area’s environmental value and seismic risk make it unsuitable for the infrastructure.

They also fear the works will drag on, making the neighbourhood unliveable because of the noise.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2025