Messina Strait bridge construction to go ahead

It now looks as if construction work will start on the new bridge across Italy’s Messina Strait.

The project has been planned for many years and has been cancelled on previous occasions following concerns over cost and payback times. The work now looks on track to start at the beginning of 2011 and is expected to cost €6.3 billion, an increase from the €6.1 billion announced previously but still within the band allowed by the project budget. Once the link is complete in 2017 it will connect the Island of Sicily with mainland Italy.