Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bridge to Nowhere?
In the aftermath of Silvio Berlusconi's recent fall from grace, it appears that Sicily's gran-
diose Straits of Messina bridge project may finally be headed for the dustheap. The
bridge, intended to link Messina with Reggio di Calabria on the Italian mainland, had
been touted by Berlusconi as a crucial new land connection between Sicily and the rest of
Italy. However, the project was always controversial. While some in Sicily welcomed the
prospect of increased economic activity based on the anticipated flood of new arrivals
from mainland Italy, others raised serious concerns about the project's environmental im-
pact, seismic safety implications, and high cost, especially the diversion of resources away
from other more pressing regional infrastructure projects. As this topic goes to press, the
Italian government has placed a two-year hold on the bridge project pending further study.
