New £11.7billion bridge set to connect one of Europe's most beautiful islands to the mainland for the first time
The plan to link
next
week.
4
Travelling from mainland Italy to Sicily is about to get much easier
Credit: Alamy
4
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
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
Read More on Europe
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
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.
Most read in News Travel
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
4
Sicily has beautiful beaches and lots of history
Credit: Alamy
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
.
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,
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.
For an Italian escape, here's a
And another
4
The bridge between Sicily and the mainland is set to complete in 2032
Credit: Alamy
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