Even by government standards, talking about building something for 2000 years is a pretty long time. So I was interested in this article discussing a bridge between Sicily and Italy. Anyone have opinions or knowledge on this or something similar?
They want to build it but it is a very difficult project and hard to justify. Though it would be a huge economic boon to Sicily. I read into this a lot about 2 years ago but I forgotten far too much of what I read.
This video covers the objections to the construction. Summary:
Geologically active - 3 fault lines, Mt. Etna, major earthquakes in the 7.0 range.
Expense - bridge cost 5 billion euro + 6 billion to connect ends to existing infrastructure. We should be very aware of creeping construction costs. (if you believe those estimates, I have a bridge for sale!)
Benefit - would save 15 minutes over existing ferry routes. Economic benefits are difficult to estimate (rosy?).
Ecological - Messina strait (bridge location) is a protected area. Lawsuits are already filed to block construction. Influence on fish/whale/bird migration is expected.
Difficulty - the strait has high currents in both directions. Building isn’t the only expense. There will be significant maintenance requirements due to erosion.
And the mafia. The two largest organizations are on opposite banks of the strait. They can influence construction and costs; extort shippers for “safe” transit (already one of their gambits).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZDjWVIie0o&ab_channel=MapPack
That’s an impressive list of objections. Some would add others: the required length, recouping costs, climate change, loss of beaches. Others would add geography: Southern Italians and Sicilians sometimes are said to feel disrespected by Northeners. It seems odd an opinion poll on how those most affected feel about it has (per the article) never been completed.
Also those pesky Greeks were able to build the engineering marvel of the Rio–Antirrio Bridge across the Gulf of Corinth.