The Italian authorities have returned to the idea of building a bridge to Sicily

The Italian government has returned to the idea of building a bridge between Sicily and the mainland.

The ancient Romans and the authorities of Italy united in 1861, engineers of the XX century and the Berlusconi government in the 1990s tried to connect Sicily with the mainland. Now Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini is in favor of building the bridge. According to him, in March, the Italian government approved a decree that "allows for the immediate resumption of the planning and implementation of the project."

It is expected that the length of the bridge will be 3.2 km, it can become the longest suspension bridge in the world. A single-span bridge will connect Villa San Giovanni in Calabria and the outskirts of Messina in Sicily.

Construction is due to begin in 2024, the project will be implemented by a state-owned company controlled by the Italian Treasury.

Environmentalists oppose the construction of the bridge, while the Ministry of Infrastructure called the project "eco-friendly" and allowing to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

It is also assumed that the new bridge will attract tourists.