Arriving in Messina on the train ferry after a night on the sleeper from Milan is one of the great moments in European travel. For that reason alone, I'm in the ‘no bridge’ camp…
In all my years in Italy I've only done it once. I doubt the bridge will ever be built, but just to be safe I should probably do it again soon just in case.
Highly unlikely to ever happen, I agree. One issue being the roads on either side of the strait, I would have thought. If the money could be found, which I doubt it can be, it would be better spent in Sicily and Calabria on other projects. Shame highway upgrades don't grab the headlines like a megaproject!
Coming from this part of the world—growing up with Etna always in sight and learning to swim in those waters while gazing at the opposite shore—your article felt like listening to an old friend recounting family stories.
Just last week, my father said: “I hope we’ll see that bridge one day. Maybe I won’t be here anymore, but people from all over the world will come to see us—not through the lens of being one of the poorest regions of Italy, but as a symbol of strength and future.”
I still have my doubts about that project. But I would like to believe in my father’s dream.
What a nice memory! That's very sweet. And thank you for the kind words about the article.
I've met several people over the years in favor of the bridge idea but your father's comment is the first that supported it for that specific reason. If I'd somehow known about his view before writing the post I probably would have included it in the essay.
I've always had modified vehicles, almost always made lower (in terms of ground clearance) for better and sportier driving both on the track and on the street. This is not compatible with most ramps, including those for ferries, including the ones to Sicily. Probably the worst justification for putting one in the "yes bridge" camp, but there ya go.
Haha! This made me laugh out loud because I know it's completely true!
You haven't convinced me, though. Building a €13.5 billion bridge (probably €20 billion by the time it's done) so you won't scuff the under-carriage of your car on ferry ramp is like building one so I can tease my French friends that the bridge includes TWO structures taller than the Eiffel Tower (I have actually had that thought).
I say go for it, it will be a major accomplishment for Italy. If the treacherous waters of the Golden Gate could be spanned, why not the Strait. In a few days we take the long train plus ferry trip from Calabria to Palermo, considerably shorter with a bridge which also could initiate better and faster train connections. As for how to pay for it, maybe Meloni will use political capital and try to unbind the many shackles on Italy’s economy—forever another bridge too far.
Is it your first time taking the train and ferry to Sicily? I'd love it if you come back here and report on the experience in the comments.
I don't think the comparison with the GG bridge is a good one. The Messina Bridge's span would be around 2.5 times longer and the depth of the Strait of Messina is around 2.5 times deeper. Plus, Messina is right on a fault line ... the fault line in San Francisco is nearby but the ground in the bay is solid.
(That info was originally in the essay, but I removed it during the editing)
Travelling between Italy and Sicily has always held a sense of magic for me, whether by train to the ship or car to the boat—each journey feels like a special event.
Additionally, it is important to acknowledge the socio-economic realities of the region, which face persistent issues of poverty. Addressing these disparities should be a central component of any development effort.
It’s interesting that you phrase it as “traveling between Italy and Sicily.” A lot of people would say the same. But it’s a little like saying you’re traveling from Europe to Italy -- it implies Sicily really isn’t fully integrated into the country. Maybe it isn’t.
Poverty is one of the main topics in these discussions. Proponents of the bridge often frame it as a way to fix the South’s economic woes. I’m skeptical, but that’s what they say.
I share your fondness for the ferry crossing. I’ve only done it once -- by train, around 20 years ago -- but writing this post created a real nostalgia for that trip. It made me want to do it again.
I think of Sicily as a different entity from Italy. One reason...all the different inhabitants through the years. Also, I learned and speak standard Italian. My uncles (side of the family from Sicily) spoke Sicilian. I could never understand what my uncles were saying. My mother side of the family from Tuscany all spoke beautiful Italian!!! They were easy to understand!!! Just my thoughts!!!
I live south of Rome. I just want people to stop using the Castelli Romani for illegal dumping . I'm tired of seeing old mattresses on my road and bags and bags of trash in the drainage ditches. Why can't they invested in more efficient and timely ferries? Boat travel is lovely.
I don't understand people who just dump appliances and mattresses in the countryside. It's probably the same crew that abandons their pets on the road and destroys the infrastructure.
I've always been fascinated by it as well, ever since I first saw that view of Sicily from Calabria. I don't think the bridge is a good idea and I don't think it'll be built, but I can understand the desire to build it.
I tend to agree, though considering all the prolonged public works projects specifically in Sicily, like the various extensions of the autostrada network and other “eternal works,” I could also see them breaking ground at some point and then just never quite finishing 😂Though I admit I am far from educated on the subject.
That photo with Etna in the background is amazing!
There are definitely pros and cons of the bridge. For some reason, I had never thought of it in terms of "unifying Italy", so thanks for bringing that to my attention. I do wonder how much a bridge would change the feel of Sicily and if it would be for the better or worse. Likely a bit of both - for different people and varying reasons.
What I think about when people talk about "completing Italy" by connecting Sicily to the mainland is, what about Sardinia? If a bridge is the only way to truly connect a major island to the mainland, then is Sardinia doomed to stay outside the club? I've heard vague plans for a bridge between Sardinia and Corsica. Would that make Sardinia part of France?
Yes, I agree about the photo! I have my own photos from Villa San Giovanni toward Sicily, but none of them come close to that one I found online. I considered making it the post's "cover photo" but it seemed strange to have a post with the name "A Bridge Too Far" and then no bridge in the accompanying photo.
Personally, I think the idea of the bridge "completing Italy" with the bridge is political rhetoric. There are plenty of ways to further culturally integrate Sicily or Sardinia without spending €13.5 billion: educational exchanges, TV series or films set on the island, teaching the islands' histories in schools, etc.
Absolutely! But I'd rather be on dry land than either -- preferably in a park, preferably far, far from the epicenter!
I wonder what it would have been like to have been on a boat during a big quake like the one in 1908. I looked around a bit for any reports of that kind of thing, but couldn't find anything.
Thank you! That's very kind. This is one that's been in my mind ever since the first time I stood at the tip of Calabria and looked across the strait more than 20 years ago.
Arriving in Messina on the train ferry after a night on the sleeper from Milan is one of the great moments in European travel. For that reason alone, I'm in the ‘no bridge’ camp…
Yes, agreed!
In all my years in Italy I've only done it once. I doubt the bridge will ever be built, but just to be safe I should probably do it again soon just in case.
Highly unlikely to ever happen, I agree. One issue being the roads on either side of the strait, I would have thought. If the money could be found, which I doubt it can be, it would be better spent in Sicily and Calabria on other projects. Shame highway upgrades don't grab the headlines like a megaproject!
Yes, a lot of Italians (including most people I talk to from Calabria or Sicily) feel this way.
Great summary of a great white elephant!
Coming from this part of the world—growing up with Etna always in sight and learning to swim in those waters while gazing at the opposite shore—your article felt like listening to an old friend recounting family stories.
Just last week, my father said: “I hope we’ll see that bridge one day. Maybe I won’t be here anymore, but people from all over the world will come to see us—not through the lens of being one of the poorest regions of Italy, but as a symbol of strength and future.”
I still have my doubts about that project. But I would like to believe in my father’s dream.
What a nice memory! That's very sweet. And thank you for the kind words about the article.
I've met several people over the years in favor of the bridge idea but your father's comment is the first that supported it for that specific reason. If I'd somehow known about his view before writing the post I probably would have included it in the essay.
Da’ 'na salutù a papà!
(Did I get the dialect right?)
Almost ! I guess it would be something like Dànci i saluti a to patri. But I am not very good at writing dialect 😅
Happy to have added another point of view at your already very complete paper.
What a nice story !! Love it.
You would love south of Italy then 😍
I've always had modified vehicles, almost always made lower (in terms of ground clearance) for better and sportier driving both on the track and on the street. This is not compatible with most ramps, including those for ferries, including the ones to Sicily. Probably the worst justification for putting one in the "yes bridge" camp, but there ya go.
Haha! This made me laugh out loud because I know it's completely true!
You haven't convinced me, though. Building a €13.5 billion bridge (probably €20 billion by the time it's done) so you won't scuff the under-carriage of your car on ferry ramp is like building one so I can tease my French friends that the bridge includes TWO structures taller than the Eiffel Tower (I have actually had that thought).
I say go for it, it will be a major accomplishment for Italy. If the treacherous waters of the Golden Gate could be spanned, why not the Strait. In a few days we take the long train plus ferry trip from Calabria to Palermo, considerably shorter with a bridge which also could initiate better and faster train connections. As for how to pay for it, maybe Meloni will use political capital and try to unbind the many shackles on Italy’s economy—forever another bridge too far.
Is it your first time taking the train and ferry to Sicily? I'd love it if you come back here and report on the experience in the comments.
I don't think the comparison with the GG bridge is a good one. The Messina Bridge's span would be around 2.5 times longer and the depth of the Strait of Messina is around 2.5 times deeper. Plus, Messina is right on a fault line ... the fault line in San Francisco is nearby but the ground in the bay is solid.
(That info was originally in the essay, but I removed it during the editing)
Travelling between Italy and Sicily has always held a sense of magic for me, whether by train to the ship or car to the boat—each journey feels like a special event.
Additionally, it is important to acknowledge the socio-economic realities of the region, which face persistent issues of poverty. Addressing these disparities should be a central component of any development effort.
It’s interesting that you phrase it as “traveling between Italy and Sicily.” A lot of people would say the same. But it’s a little like saying you’re traveling from Europe to Italy -- it implies Sicily really isn’t fully integrated into the country. Maybe it isn’t.
Poverty is one of the main topics in these discussions. Proponents of the bridge often frame it as a way to fix the South’s economic woes. I’m skeptical, but that’s what they say.
I share your fondness for the ferry crossing. I’ve only done it once -- by train, around 20 years ago -- but writing this post created a real nostalgia for that trip. It made me want to do it again.
I think of Sicily as a different entity from Italy. One reason...all the different inhabitants through the years. Also, I learned and speak standard Italian. My uncles (side of the family from Sicily) spoke Sicilian. I could never understand what my uncles were saying. My mother side of the family from Tuscany all spoke beautiful Italian!!! They were easy to understand!!! Just my thoughts!!!
I live south of Rome. I just want people to stop using the Castelli Romani for illegal dumping . I'm tired of seeing old mattresses on my road and bags and bags of trash in the drainage ditches. Why can't they invested in more efficient and timely ferries? Boat travel is lovely.
I don't understand people who just dump appliances and mattresses in the countryside. It's probably the same crew that abandons their pets on the road and destroys the infrastructure.
I know the reason it happens, it's a bit complicated but it comes down the the municipalities and residency.
I’ve long been fascinated by this “project.” Thanks for the great info. We will see what happens with this new iteration.
I've always been fascinated by it as well, ever since I first saw that view of Sicily from Calabria. I don't think the bridge is a good idea and I don't think it'll be built, but I can understand the desire to build it.
I tend to agree, though considering all the prolonged public works projects specifically in Sicily, like the various extensions of the autostrada network and other “eternal works,” I could also see them breaking ground at some point and then just never quite finishing 😂Though I admit I am far from educated on the subject.
That photo with Etna in the background is amazing!
There are definitely pros and cons of the bridge. For some reason, I had never thought of it in terms of "unifying Italy", so thanks for bringing that to my attention. I do wonder how much a bridge would change the feel of Sicily and if it would be for the better or worse. Likely a bit of both - for different people and varying reasons.
What I think about when people talk about "completing Italy" by connecting Sicily to the mainland is, what about Sardinia? If a bridge is the only way to truly connect a major island to the mainland, then is Sardinia doomed to stay outside the club? I've heard vague plans for a bridge between Sardinia and Corsica. Would that make Sardinia part of France?
Yes, I agree about the photo! I have my own photos from Villa San Giovanni toward Sicily, but none of them come close to that one I found online. I considered making it the post's "cover photo" but it seemed strange to have a post with the name "A Bridge Too Far" and then no bridge in the accompanying photo.
Good point about Sardinia. And the Corsica question baffles the brain.
Personally, I think the idea of the bridge "completing Italy" with the bridge is political rhetoric. There are plenty of ways to further culturally integrate Sicily or Sardinia without spending €13.5 billion: educational exchanges, TV series or films set on the island, teaching the islands' histories in schools, etc.
In the event of an earthquake, I would prefer to be on a bridge than in a tunnel.
Absolutely! But I'd rather be on dry land than either -- preferably in a park, preferably far, far from the epicenter!
I wonder what it would have been like to have been on a boat during a big quake like the one in 1908. I looked around a bit for any reports of that kind of thing, but couldn't find anything.
We really appreciate your research and commentary. We learn every week! Thank you!
Thank you! That's very kind. This is one that's been in my mind ever since the first time I stood at the tip of Calabria and looked across the strait more than 20 years ago.
Have you ever been to that part of the world?
No, we haven't been there. YET! Hopefully next spring we want to visit Italy and Ireland.
We were talking about this stupid bridge on Sunday!! I don't know anyone who wants it (besides Meloni and Salvini)
Believe me, there are some supporters. But most of the folks I talks to would agree with you.