2025 - Start of Executive Phase
The start of work on the Messina Strait Bridge marks a historic milestone for Italy and the Mezzogiorno.
After decades of studies, debates, and projects, the work has entered the executive phase with the signing of the contract between Stretto di Messina S.p.A. and the Eurolink consortium led by Webuild. The construction site involves the realization of the world’s longest single suspended span, with complementary road and railway infrastructures on both shores.
The start of work represents the concrete beginning of an extraordinary project, destined to transform the mobility, image, economy, and identity of the country.
ESTIMATED OPENING BETWEEN:
Rome 07.08.2025

“Following the approval of the CIPES resolution by the Court of Auditors, the first on-site works and the executive design activities will begin in late summer, early autumn.”
Dr. Pietro Ciucci CEO Stretto di Messina S.p.A.
Schedule
Messina Bridge
Starting next year, the Messina Strait Bridge project will enter its decisive phase, with the start of the executive design in parallel for all three main operational phases. This approach will optimize time and resources, reducing coordination complexities and ensuring greater continuity in the realization of the work.
Phase 1 / 2025 – Compensatory Works
By 2025, if the administrative process is completed, a very important operational phase will begin, which is entirely preparatory and relates to advance and compensatory works.
Phase 2 / 2026 – Road and Railway Links
This includes the access points to the infrastructure, with the construction of new motorway and railway links. Work is scheduled to begin in May 2026.
Phase 3 / 2026 – Tunnels, Interchanges and New Railway Stations
This will develop the underground sections, connection works, and three new strategic railway stations for the integration of mobility. Start is planned for September 2026.
Phase 4 / 2027 – Start of Bridge Construction
The most iconic phase of the project, which includes the construction of the main towers, the anchor blocks, the entire suspension system, the suspended deck, and the new management centre. Work will start from March 2027.
Phase 5 / 2032 – Completion and Testing
The completion and testing of the Messina Bridge by 2032 represent the final phase of the work, with structural verifications, safety tests, and certifications necessary for opening to traffic.
Phase 6 / 2033 – Opening to Traffic
The opening of the Messina Bridge to traffic is scheduled for 2033, the year in which the Bridge should become a reality, radically transforming connections between Sicily and Calabria.
2025 - Start of Compensatory Works
Messina Bridge
By 2025, before the start of the main Bridge works, the territory will be prepared through a series of preparatory and essential activities, designed to minimize the impact of future construction sites and ensure adequate conditions for the development of the infrastructure.
By 2025, if the administrative process is completed, a different operational phase will begin, relating to advance and compensatory works.
According to what was specified by the Stretto di Messina company, the first activities will concern collateral interventions requested by the Municipalities, such as support roadways and measures to immediately reduce the impact of the construction sites on the territory.
These works include the construction of construction site tracks separate from ordinary traffic, base camps, water and energy supply systems, sewer network upgrades, remediation of unexploded ordnance, resolution of interferences with underground utilities (water, gas, electricity, telecommunications). Preliminary archaeological and geognostic investigations, preliminary environmental monitoring, and social and environmental compensatory works are also planned.
2026 - Start of Road and Railway Link Works
Messina Bridge
In May 2026, the start of the first phase of work on the Messina Bridge is scheduled, dedicated to road and railway links. This is a fundamental step to integrate the work with existing infrastructures, ensuring the connection between the A2 motorway in Calabria and the A20 in Sicily, as well as the main national railway axes. The interventions will concern in particular the access points, road links, and access works to the future crossing.
This phase marks the concrete beginning of the construction site and lays the foundations for subsequent realizations, ensuring that the bridge is fully functional in the context of interregional mobility.
2027 - Start of Bridge Construction
Messina Bridge
From March 2027, the most iconic and spectacular phase of the entire project will begin: the construction of the Bridge itself. The works will involve the realization of the main towers, structures hundreds of meters high that will support the main cables, and the anchor blocks, massive elements capable of withstanding enormous tensile forces. In parallel, the sophisticated suspension system, the technological heart of the work, will be assembled, and the placement of the segments of the suspended deck, over three kilometers long, will begin. The phase will also include the construction of the new management centre, which will serve as the logistical and managerial base for the entire crossing. This will be the moment when the work becomes visible in all its grandeur.
2032 - Completion and Testing
Messina Bridge
2032 will be the crucial year for final tests and verifications. Once the structure is completed, the Bridge will undergo a rigorous program of static and dynamic tests: load tests with railway convoys and vehicles, wind resistance tests, seismic simulations, and checks on materials and joints. Safety, lighting, video surveillance, and traffic management systems will also be certified. This phase will ensure that the infrastructure meets the highest international standards of quality and reliability, representing the final step before commissioning.
2033 - Opening to Traffic
Messina Bridge
2033 will mark the historic date of the opening of the Messina Bridge to traffic. With the ribbon-cutting, Italy will be able to count on the world’s longest suspended crossing, radically transforming connections between Sicily and Calabria. For the first time, it will be possible to cross the Strait in a few minutes, both by car and by train, with direct integration into the high-speed railway network and the main motorway axes. The inauguration will represent not only the completion of an extraordinary engineering work but also a symbol of progress, unity, and development for the entire country.