The world's tallest ships will be able
to pass under the future Messina Straits Bridge, the CEO of the
Stretto di Messina contracting company, Pietro Ciucci, told ANSA
Friday after logistics federation Federlogistica voiced doubts
about mammoth cruise liners and tall ships getting under what
would be the world's longest suspension bridge linking Sicily to
mainland Italy.
"The navigable height of the bridge is 72 metres, with a width
of 600 metres, and only drops to 65 metres in exceptional
conditions of heavy road and rail traffic," he said.
"These parameters are in line with the existing bridges on the
great international navigation ways, in coherence with the
procedures established by IMO norms (International Maritime
Organization)".
Federlogistica President Luigi Merlo reiterated earlier Friday
that a height of 65 metres was too low for the great ships of
the day.
Last week the European Parliament approved the updated
guidelines for the development of the Trans-European Transport
Network (Ten-T), which connects over 420 major cities in the EU,
and included in the plan Italy's ambitious project to build the
Messina Strait Bridge.
Work on the bridge will start this summer, Transport and
Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini said last month after
the environment ministry asked the contracting company to
explain 239 parts of the project.
Salvini has pushed strongly to revive a project mooted by
successive past centre-right governments but never actually
started due to environmental, mafia infiltration and seismic
concerns and the significant cost.
The bridge currently has a price tag of some 14.6 billion euro
($16.14 billion), or about one percent of Italian GDP, and is
scheduled to come into use in the late 2030s.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
