Italy’s $15.7bn bridge project sparks mass protests in Sicily
Thousands of people marched in Messina on Saturday to protest Italy’s plan to build the world’s longest suspension bridge across the Strait of Messina, reports a Kazinform News Agency correspondent.
The €13.5 billion ($15.7bn) project would link Sicily with the mainland, but locals fear its scale, seismic risks, environmental damage, and mafia infiltration.
Protesters chanted “The Strait of Messina can’t be touched” and carried banners reading “No Ponte” (No Bridge). “They could offer me three times the value of my house, but that doesn’t matter to me. What matters is the landscape,” said Mariolina De Francesco, 75, whose home lies near a planned 399-meter tower.
The project, debated for decades, gained momentum this week when a government committee approved it. Transport Minister Matteo Salvini hailed it as “the biggest infrastructure project in the West,” saying it could create up to 120,000 jobs annually and cut ferry travel times from 100 minutes to just 10 by car.
Critics note about 500 families would be displaced, while environmental groups warn of harm to migratory birds. Italy’s president has demanded strict anti-mafia oversight, and the EU is reviewing complaints.
If cleared by Italy’s Court of Audit, preliminary work could begin this autumn, with construction starting in 2026 and completion expected by 2033.
Earlier, it was reported that local activists in Venice launched a protest campaign against the upcoming wedding of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée, Lauren Sánchez, scheduled to take place in the city at the end of June.
