2024-12-26T13:12:13-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150417789/world-s-longest-suspension-bridge-is-moving-forward-in-italy-after-decades-of-pushback-and-delays Nathaniel Bahadursingh 2024-02-25T08:00:00-05:00 >2024-09-30T12:31:08-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/1f/1fc0cb0817cc81b5c7bf0384e54b09c9.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>Construction of what would be the world's longest suspension bridge, connecting Sicily and mainland <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/18315/italy" target="_blank">Italy</a> over the Strait of Messina, could begin this year after the final design recently gained approval. The long-delayed project would stretch more than 10,800 feet if completed.</p> <p>The controversial bridge is estimated to cost approximately $5 billion and take around seven years to build. It will feature three vehicle lanes and a central lane for rail. The structure is also designed to withstand 180-mile-per-hour winds and up to 7.1-magnitude earthquakes.&nbsp;</p> <p>The concept has been in the works since the 1960s, and it wasn&rsquo;t until 2003 that a preliminary design for it was approved. Since then, the project has experienced a cycle of being shelved and revived by various Italian governments in power. Critics of the endeavor have asserted that the bridge has been nothing more than a tool to win votes that would waste billions of dollars.</p> <p>State-owned sponsor Stretto di Messina SpA (SdM) has long...</p>