The construction of a bridge in Italy was stuck for 2300 years. In 250 BCE, Roman soldiers laid wooden decks on floating barrels to cross the Strait of Messina. Through it, soldiers transported 140 Carthaginian elephants from Sicily to the Circus Maximus in Rome for a victory march. Since that time the construction of this bridge has been proposed. During this period, many empires came and went. Governments came and went, but a permanent bridge could not be constructed here.
Now Italy’s Prime Minister Georgia Meloni has approved the project to build a bridge on the Messina Strait. The government argues that this will increase connectivity between the north and south regions of the country. After coming to power in the year 2022, the government of Prime Minister Georgia Meloni reactivated this project. Then the process of financial and administrative approvals was expedited. Worked to remove construction related bottlenecks. The Meloni government considered this infrastructure investment necessary for the national defense of Italy. Once completed, this bridge will become the longest single-span suspension bridge in the world.
What is the connection between Trump and this bridge in Italy?
Meloni’s construction of a bridge across the Strait of Messina is not just a public works project. Experts say that this bridge is also being built to meet the huge military expenditure target increased by US President Donald Trump and implemented by NATO. In fact, US President Donald Trump has forced the European countries included in NATO to spend heavily on their army and defense.
Now NATO countries will have to spend 5% of their economy (GDP) on military. Earlier it was only 2 percent. This situation has worsened the already very tight budgets of European countries. The fiscal and economic challenges for them have increased further. Italy is also included in these countries.
Italy will benefit like this
After the construction of the bridge over the Messina Strait, connectivity will be established between the southern and northern regions of the country through both road and rail routes. This will reduce the time and distance taken to travel between the two areas. Also, freight transportation in both the areas will be in better condition than before. Italy’s economy will benefit from this. In such a situation, despite spending 5% of its economy (GDP) on military, Italy will not be burdened.
Why is the Strait of Messina so important?
The Strait of Messina is a narrow sea route located in southern Italy. It separates mainland Italy from the island of Sicily. This waterway connects the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Ionian Sea in the Mediterranean Sea. This route is approximately 32 kilometers long. Its width is only 3.1 kilometers at its narrowest point. At the same time, near the city of Messina it widens slightly to about 5.1 kilometers.
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