A dream that has never gone away, between decades of stop and go, to which is now added the futuristic idea of a submarine connection. The dream of connecting Sicily to the continent with a bridge over the Strait has fascinated since Roman times and has seen proposals flourish since the unification of Italy.
The first preliminary project took shape in 1992, but it was in 2002 that the project started under the third Berlusconi government and it was 2005 when Impregilo won the tender as general contractor. In 2006, however, with the victory of the center left, the project is back in the drawer. Back in vogue in 2008, but a few years later with the Monti government Italy seems to have closed with the bridge. It was relaunched by Renzi in 2016, but then met Toninelli's 'no' in 2019. The issue, however, reappears in every legislature: in June Minister De Micheli announced a decision in a few months; now Prime Minister Conte proposes the submarine tunnel.
Here, in summary, the phases from the start of the project:
2002 : BERLUSCONI GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES DECREE . The Stretto di Messina company takes over the preliminary project prepared in 1992. At the beginning of 2003 the company's board of directors approved a new project accompanied by an environmental impact study. In April the government passes the decree for the construction of the work.
2004: IMPREGILO WINS THE RACE . In spring the call for tenders for the choice of the general contractor is approved. In 2005 the contracting commission declared the victory of the group led by Impregilo. The contract is signed on March 27.
2005: WORKS STARTED NOT BEFORE 2007 - Before opening the construction sites, Impregilo must present the final project (which must be approved by Cipe and the Strait of Messina) and the executive project. For the realization of the work it will take another 5 years, until 2012.
2006: FOR THE PRODI GOVERNMENT IT IS NOT PRIORITY . In the Union program, the Bridge over the Strait is not among the priorities'.
2008: CAMERA APPROVES RESOLUTION AGAINST BRIDGE . The deputies, on 11 October 2008, approved the resolution according to which the bridge over the Strait of Messina will not be built.
2008: MATTEOLI, THE BRIDGE WILL BE MADE, WORKS WILL START WITHIN 2009 . Yet another turnaround with the Minister of Infrastructure, Matteoli, who announces that the work will be done.
2011: EU, BRIDGE IS NOT AMONG THE PRIORITIES . The European Commission announces that it will not undertake any commitment regarding a possible inclusion of the bridge over the Strait of Messina among the EU priority projects.
2012: MONTI STOPS THE PROJECT . The Monti government, in full crisis, decides to stop the project and to extend, for a total period of about 2 years, the terms for the approval of the final project. Eurolink, general contractor of which Impregilo is the lead partner, decides to withdraw.
2013: THE STRAIT OF MESSINA CLOSES . With the Prime Ministerial Decree of 15 April, the company Stretto di Messina, established in 1981 and controlled by Anas, was put into liquidation.
2015: RENZI RELAUNCHES THE WORK . The bridge "will certainly be built, the problem is when", announces Prime Minister Renzi, indicating the need to finish roads and railways first. The idea was proposed again in 2016 by the Minister of the Interior Angelino Alfano who presented a bill to the Chamber.
2019: THE REFERENDUM HYPOTHESIS . The president of Sicily Musumeci, in reply to the position of Minister Toninelli ("it is not a priority"), launches the idea of holding a referendum among the Sicilians to understand if the work is really shared by the population.
2020: THE SUBMARINE HYPOTHESIS STARTS . The debate on the bridge does not end, until the transport minister De Micheli announces a decision in June "in a few months". In August, the idea of the tunnel appears. "I cannot say we will bridge the Strait, there are no prerequisites", announces Prime Minister Conte on 9 August, who opens up to the new hypothesis: "We have to think about an engineering miracle. An eco-sustainable, light structure that protects the environment, including submarine ". (HANDLE).
