SHOTLIST:

STRAIT OF MESSINA, ITALY (AUG. 7, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)

1. MOTION GRAPHICS SHOWING WORLD'S LONGEST SUSPENSION BRIDGE PROJECT ACROSS STRAIT OF MESSINA, ITALY STRAIT OF MESSINA, ITALY - AUG. 7, 2025: Once completed, the €13.5 billion project will connect Sicily to mainland Italy via a 3.2 km span, slashing travel time and boosting regional development

Italy has approved the construction of what will become the world’s longest suspension bridge, spanning the Strait of Messina to connect Sicily with Calabria, the southernmost region of mainland Italy.

The project, valued at €13.5 billion ($15.6 billion), was officially revived in 2023 and received final approval in 2024, according to Webuild Group, the engineering firm leading the construction.

With a main span of 3.2 kilometers (2 miles), the bridge will surpass all existing suspension bridges in length. The structure will feature two towers, each 399 meters high, and is designed to withstand strong winds, seismic activity, and intense marine currents.

Once operational, the bridge will accommodate up to 6,000 vehicles and 200 trains per day, drastically reducing the current travel time between Sicily and mainland Italy — currently reliant on ferry transport.

Proponents of the project highlight its potential to stimulate economic development in the region, create over 100,000 jobs, and offer a more sustainable transport option by cutting CO₂ emissions through reduced ferry use.

“The bridge will not only connect two regions — it will connect economies, communities, and futures,” said a spokesperson from Webuild.

Construction is expected to begin soon, with the bridge representing a symbol of Italian engineering and a long-awaited solution to a decades-old transportation bottleneck.