Complementary Works
Messina Strait
The Bridge over the Strait of Messina is not an isolated infrastructure but the centerpiece of a much broader system of connections, interventions, and complementary works that ensure its full functionality.
Without these additional infrastructures, the Bridge could not fulfill its role as a major connection between Sicily, Calabria, and mainland Italy. The full project includes over 40 km of new roads and railways across both shores, along with environmental, territorial, and social measures.
Estimated Costs
The complementary works planned for both shores involve investments of €4.5–5 billion, divided as follows:
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Roads: over 20 km between Calabria and Sicily – approx. €1.8 billion.
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Railways: about 20 km of new tracks and junctions – approx. €2 billion.
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Railway stations in Messina (Papardo, Annunziata, Europa) – approx. €500 million.
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Operations center in Villa San Giovanni – approx. €200 million.
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Environmental mitigation and compensation measures – over €300 million.
Messina Strait
Functional Works
These include all connections integrating the Bridge into existing transport systems.
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Calabria (Villa San Giovanni): approx. 10 km of roads and 2.7 km of railways connecting both the historic Tyrrhenian line and the future High-Speed/High-Capacity Salerno–Reggio Calabria line, ensuring continuous rail service between Sicily and the mainland.
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Sicily: approx. 10.4 km of new roads and 17.5 km of railways connecting with the Messina–Catania and Messina–Palermo lines. This integration will reduce travel times and improve logistics efficiency, benefiting citizens and businesses alike.
Messina Strait
Non-Functional Works
In addition to transport infrastructure, the project includes works with a direct urban and socio-economic impact.
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Three new railway stations in Messina (Papardo, Annunziata, Europa) will enhance metropolitan mobility, linking key areas such as universities, hospitals, and residential districts.
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Operations Center in Piale (Villa San Giovanni): a multifunctional complex hosting management offices, monitoring facilities, retail areas, restaurants, and a conference center — creating new employment opportunities and fostering local economic development.
Messina Strait
Environmental Mitigation and Compensation
Environmental sustainability is a core principle of the project.
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Reuse of approx. 12 million m³ of excavated material in Sicily and 4.5 million m³ in Calabria for road embankments, environmental restoration, and coastal reinforcement.
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Urban and landscape regeneration through green spaces, technological infrastructure integration, and mitigation of impacts on local communities.
This approach minimizes excavation impact and safeguards ecological balance while improving the quality of urban and natural environments.
Messina Strait
A Transformation for Mobility and the Territory
The complementary works represent far more than technical additions — they are what make the Bridge functional, sustainable, and transformative.
New stations, roads, and railways will reshape daily mobility for thousands of people, connect the urban centers of Sicily and Calabria, and enhance Southern Italy’s logistics and competitiveness.
At the same time, environmental initiatives will ensure that development respects the territory, minimizes ecological impact, and restores degraded areas — turning the Bridge into both an engineering achievement and a driver of territorial regeneration.
