Italian court rejects Sicily bridge project, dealing a blow to Meloni government

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ROME (AP) — Italy’s Court of Auditors on Wednesday rejected a key government project, refusing to sign off on plans to build a 13.5 billion euro massive bridge connecting Sicily to the mainland, dealing a blow to the right-wing government led by Premier Giorgia Meloni.

The court — which has a dual role of financial control and jurisdiction in public accounting — issued its decision in a brief statement on Wednesday evening, adding that it would publish its motivations within 30 days.

Meloni immediately blasted the ruling, calling it “an intolerable intrusion” by magistrates and promising the government would go ahead with the project

Transport Minister and Deputy Premier Matteo Salvini — the main sponsor of the Strait of Messina Bridge project — denounced the ruling as “a political decision,” not a technical one, and vowed to pursue all possible ways to bring the plan forward.

The Court of Auditors' decision doesn’t definitively block the bridge project, but can long delay its final approval, possibly forcing the government to a new vote to override the court’s objections.

The Strait of Messina Bridge has been approved and canceled multiple times since the Italian government first solicited proposals in 1969. Meloni’s administration revived the plan in 2023, and this marks the furthest stage the ambitious project — first envisioned by the Romans — has ever reached.

The project has been widely debated over its scale, earthquake threats, environmental impact and the specter of mafia interference.

Preliminary work was expected to start by the fall, with construction set to kick off next year. Despite bureaucratic delays, according to the government's plan the bridge was expected to be completed between 2032-2033.

The Strait of Messina Bridge would measure nearly 3.7 kilometers (2.2 miles), with the suspended span reaching 3.3 kilometers (more than 2 miles), surpassing Turkey’s Canakkale Bridge, currently the longest, by 1,277 meters (4,189 feet).