New £11.7billion bridge set to connect one of Europe's most beautiful islands to the mainland for the first time
BRIDGE THE GAP New £11.7billion bridge set to connect one of Europe's most beautiful islands to the mainland for the first time
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A HUGE new 2.2mile bridge connecting a beautiful European island to the mainland is to finally get the go-ahead.
The plan to link Sicily with mainland Italy has been on the cards for years and now, the Italian government is expected to give the green light next week.
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Travelling from mainland Italy to Sicily is about to get much easier
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The bridge will connect Sicily with mainland Italy
Credit: Alamy
The proposed plans are to build a bridge over the Strait of Messina - the body of water between Sicily and Italy's mainland.
The Strait of Messina Bridge is something that has actually been talked about since the Roman times, but has never come to fruition.
It came very close to becoming a reality back in 2009, but was stopped in 2013 when the company created to oversee its construction closed down.
Talking to Reuters, a source said the Italian government is expected to give the go-ahead for the project next week.
The source added that the meeting of the Committee for Economic Planning and Sustainable Development (CIPESS) to approve the bridge had yet to be scheduled but was expected to take place by August 7.
The bridge will be costly, and the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has set aside €13.5 billion (£11.7 billion) for the project.
Once it's finished, the Strait of Messina Bridge will be the longest suspension bridge in the world.
It will be 2.2 miles long and designed to withstand earthquakes and strong winds.
The project isn't going to be a quick build though as it's estimated it won't be completed until 2032.
Currently, to get to and from Sicily to the Calabria region, travellers have to get on a ferry, take a train, or plane.
Discover Europe's Secret Isles: Top 8 Underrated Destinations
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Sicily has beautiful beaches and lots of history
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A regular ferry route operates between Messina in Sicily and Reggio Calabria in Calabria, and it takes around 30 minutes to do the crossing.
You can also get a train from Sicily direct to Rome and Naples that boards its own ferry.
The journey takes between eight and 12 hours depending on the starting city.
To reach the island by plane, visitors can fly from Milan, Rome, Venice, Bologna and Verona.
From the UK, you can fly directly to the island from London and Bristol and be there in under three hours.
Sicily is one of Europe's most ancient inhabited islands and is now home to around five million people.
Often named one of the world's most beautiful islands (most recently by Conde Nast Traveler), the most popular cities on the island are Palermo and Catania.
One writer who visited Palermo delved deep into the island's mafia past and discovered a striking cathedral, food markets and beautiful sandy beaches.
Another writer went to Catania taking a look at its Hollywood history, found the best views and tasted delicious desserts.
For an Italian escape, here's a Mediterranean island that Brits don't know about with spectacular beaches and it's loved by Italians.
And another tiny Italian island set to be 'turned into an oasis' to escape hoards of tourists.
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