The Italian government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has approved the long-delayed construction of a €13.5 billion suspension bridge connecting the island of Sicily to the Italian mainland. Once seen primarily as a tool for regional economic development, the project is now being promoted as a critical component of Italy’s defense and NATO commitments.
The proposed 3.3-kilometer bridge over the Strait of Messina, which has faced decades of delays due to political, financial, and structural concerns, is being reframed as a dual-use project: boosting southern Italy’s economy while enhancing military mobility in a region of rising geopolitical significance.
“This is a work that has no precedent in the world,” said Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, announcing the government’s decision in Rome. “I’m absolutely proud of the work we’ve done so far.”
Bridge as Part of NATO Spending Pledge
Italy has pledged, like all NATO members, to increase annual defense spending to 5% of GDP over the next decade, including 1.5% earmarked for strategic infrastructure. Meloni’s administration wants to classify the bridge as part of this commitment, citing its value in enabling the rapid movement of military forces.
An April government report designated the Messina bridge as infrastructure of “overriding public interest,” stating it would play a “key role in military mobility”, especially given the presence of NATO bases in southern Italy and growing Russian activity in the Mediterranean.
At the NATO summit in June, Meloni warned of “hybrid threats” and “hostile actors” in the region and pointed to Russia’s increasing influence in Libya and the broader southern flank of the alliance.
Criticism Over Strategic Justification
However, some experts are skeptical of the bridge’s strategic value. Alessandro Marrone, head of the defense program at Italy’s Institute for International Affairs, called the claim “a stretch”, noting that NATO’s logistical priorities center on the rapid eastward deployment of forces — not movement within southern Italy.
“If you have to go east, it’s either via the Adriatic, via plane, or via the Alps,” Marrone said, adding that improving ports and airports where troops are actually stationed would be more impactful.
Others warn the bridge could become a liability, requiring costly protection. Retired General Gualtiero Corsini, writing in 1987, argued that a suspension bridge would be “the most vulnerable” of all possible connection methods and would require anti-aircraft and anti-missile defenses.
Marrone echoed that view, saying the bridge could become a symbolic target but would likely not be a high-priority objective for Russia, as troops destined for the Baltics or Poland would not transit through Sicily.
Decades of Delays and Controversy
Efforts to build the bridge date back centuries — with ancient Roman records referencing attempts to connect Sicily by rafts. Modern proposals began gaining traction after Italian unification in the 19th century and became a national priority in the 1970s.
However, progress has been repeatedly stalled:
- In 2005, then-PM Silvio Berlusconi signed a €3.9 billion contract, only for the project to be shelved after his government collapsed.
- It was briefly revived in 2008, but scrapped again in 2011 amid the eurozone debt crisis.
- Estimated costs have since tripled — from €4.4 billion to €13.5 billion.
Locals in Messina have long opposed the project due to the urban disruptions it would bring, including relocating the city’s train station and demolishing entire neighborhoods. Protests are reigniting as the government aims to begin expropriations and construction by fall.
Economic and Strategic Goals Intertwined
Meloni’s administration insists the bridge is not just a regional development initiative but a national security imperative — helping reshore infrastructure and reinforce Italy’s strategic posture in the Mediterranean.
Still, critics argue that the government may be conflating military utility with economic ambition. If completed, the bridge would be a technical marvel, but also a massive financial and logistical challenge.
As Italy moves forward, the Messina bridge project will remain at the intersection of geopolitics, infrastructure planning, and domestic political symbolism — a structure that could either unify or divide, both physically and politically.
