The preliminary services conference for the construction of the Messina Bridge has been convened on April 16, marking the official start of the bureaucratic procedure for the massive infrastructure project linking the island region of Sicily to mainland Italy, the transport and infrastructure ministry said in a statement on Friday.
If all goes to plan, the building sites will be set up by the end of the year.
Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure and Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, was said to be "very pleased and confident that the discussion will lead to the definition of the activities as soon as possible".
Salvini has pushed strongly for the construction of what will be the world's longest suspension bridge, a project mooted by successive centre-right governments but never actually started due to environmental and seismic concerns and the significant cost.
The bridge currently has a price tag of some 14.6 billion euro($16.14 billion), or about one percent of Italian GDP, and is scheduled to come into use in the late 2030s.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA