Ponti di Missina [Strait of Messina Bridge]

[alfieb]

Do you believe that a bridge connecting Italy and Sicily should be funded by taxpayers and erected to allow car travel between the island and the peninsula?

[CVCV]

Yes. Who could be against that and why?

[alfieb]

Yes. Who could be against that and why?

Many thousands of people in both Southern Calabria and Northeastern Sicily who don't want traffic, Sicilians who find it unnecessary to be connected to the mainland when there are already regular ferries and numerous airports, communists, nationalists, anarchists, all sorts of people.

The planned bridge won't be in the City of Messina or the City of Reggio Calabria, but rather small villages that are closer together, so they'll go from being quiet towns to flooded with cars and buses.

There are also fears that it will help the Sicilian mafia and Calabrese mafia cooperate better with drug trafficking when they can do it by car rather than by boat or plane.

Also, the latest plans have the Chinese government set to build it, because European labor is too expensive.

[Sikeliot]

No. Because if it happens, then it'll be another obstacle toward Sicily ever being independent.. they'd have to take the bridge down and waste money.

Granted Sicily can't be independent now for economic reasons but it's just not a good idea.

[CVCV]

Many thousands of people in both Southern Calabria and Northeastern Sicily who don't want traffic, Sicilians who find it unnecessary to be connected to the mainland when there are already regular ferries and numerous airports, communists, nationalists, anarchists, all sorts of people.

The planned bridge won't be in the City of Messina or the City of Reggio Calabria, but rather small villages that are closer together, so they'll go from being quiet towns to flooded with cars and buses.

There are also fears that it will help the Sicilian mafia and Calabrese mafia cooperate better with drug trafficking when they can do it by car rather than by boat or plane.

Also, the latest plans have the Chinese government set to build it, because European labor is too expensive.

If it is built, it will probably be built by Impregilo, an Italian company that has multiple construction sites all over Europe. My brother works for that company. Oh, looking at the website of this company I have found out that they are the ones that will build it, look:

http://www.impregilo.it/public/impregilo/it/infrastrutture_principali_progetti_in_corso_di_rea lizzazione.php?p=1

I think it will be very good for Sicily because many of the tourists that Sicily receives are from mainland Italy. Also, the supply of goods will improve, and Sicily will probably become more and more developed. I am surprised that they haven't built this bridge before, since it's such a good idea. I visited Sicily last year and I found many signs asking for a "free Sicily", but the truth is that Sicily is already free and prosperous. Nobody is oppressing them at all. On the contrary, I am sure that the wonderful highways of Sicily have been built with money sent by Rome.

[alfieb]

I visited Sicily last year and I found many signs asking for a "free Sicily", but the truth is that Sicily is already free and prosperous. Nobody is oppressing them at all. On the contrary, I am sure that the wonderful highways of Sicily have been built with money sent by Rome.
How are they free when they've never had a choice whether or not to be a part of Italy? That was decided by foreigners with guns. The king didn't surrender or abdicate.

[CVCV]

How are they free when they've never had a choice whether or not to be a part of Italy? That was decided by foreigners with guns. The king didn't surrender or abdicate.

Have you seen the movie "Il Gattopardo"?

[alfieb]

Have you seen the movie "Il Gattopardo"?
No, but I read the book when I was young and obsessed with reading. Nowadays, I hate books, so I probably should have just watched the film.

[Ctwentysevenj]

Well the Danes and the Swedes built a bridge, which connects Denmark and Sweden. The Öresund Bridge which opened in 2000.

[Scipio Africanus]

No. Because if it happens, then it'll be another obstacle toward Sicily ever being independent.. they'd have to take the bridge down and waste money.

Granted Sicily can't be independent now for economic reasons but it's just not a good idea.

Sicily is part of Italy now and forever

Il ponte sullo stretto is useless and harmful

[alfieb]

Sicily is part of Italy now and forever

Says the guy named after one of Rome's greatest generals. Tell that to the Romans, who considered Sicily separate from Italy.

The real winners if the bridge is built are 'Ndrangheta and Cosa Nostra, not the Sicilian people, and certainly not the people of Messina.

[Mens-Sarda]

not to mention that the Strait of Messina is one of the most dangerous seismic zones of Italy, in 1908 an earthquake completely destroyed Messina causing 100.000 victims, building a so long bridge in that area is a great great risk

http://zonesismiche.mi.ingv.it/mappa_ps_apr04/images/mappa_opcm3519_84mo.gif

http://www.6aprile.it/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rischio_sismico_calabria_sicilia.jpg

http://www.globusmagazine.it/_/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/mappa_sismica_2004_N.jpg

[Ulla]

not to mention that the Strait of Messina is one of the most dangerous seismic zones of Italy, in 1908 an earthquake completely destroyed Messina causing 100.000 victims, building a so long bridge in that area is a great great risk

http://zonesismiche.mi.ingv.it/mappa_ps_apr04/images/mappa_opcm3519_84mo.gif

http://www.6aprile.it/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/rischio_sismico_calabria_sicilia.jpg

http://www.globusmagazine.it/_/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/mappa_sismica_2004_N.jpg

Thanks Mens Sarda, I was posting just this.

[Tooting Carmen]

Well there is the Channel Tunnel, so why not this?

[alfieb]

Well there is the Channel Tunnel, so why not this?

60 million people live in the UK. 60 million people live in France. UK is a member of the EU and this enabled people to go from one to the other in an inexpensive way.

Sicily is not the UK. It's more like Sardinia or Cyprus than it is England or Sweden.

[Scandalf]

The real barrier is the Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway. Solve that problem first, otherwise the bridge would be useless.

[Mens-Sarda]

Well there is the Channel Tunnel, so why not this?

would you build a tunnel in a so dangerous seismic zone?

the Channel tunnel is in a zero seismic danger zone

[Volscian]

I want a bridge between Sicily and Sardinia and between Sardinia and Italy. :)

[Panormus]

Absolutely yes! A bridge between Sicily and the rest of the peninsula could represent a big chance for the island to improve its economic situation

[Panormus]

No. Because if it happens, then it'll be another obstacle toward Sicily ever being independent.. they'd have to take the bridge down and waste money.

Granted Sicily can't be independent now for economic reasons but it's just not a good idea.


we don't want to be independent

[Tacitus]

Even if they make it as earthquake-proof as possible there's still the chance of a particularly bad quake destroying the bridge completely so it's not worth the risk. Not to mention the Mafia and the 'Ndrangheta quickly gaining control over the construction process; it would never be finished.