Meloni government backs bridge in earthquake zone

Giorgia Meloni’s Italian government has agreed to resuscitate an ancient project to build a suspension bridge connecting Sicily to mainland Italy — which happens to be in the middle of an earthquake zone.

Rome aims to "resume as quickly as possible the planning process for the bridge over the Strait of Messina," a governmental decree issued late Thursday night said.

Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini, the project’s staunchest advocate, hailed it as "historic day" for Italy.

The bridge "has the ambition of becoming the most modern and sustainable in the world," the far-right League leader tweeted Thursday evening, labeling the project "a model for an Italy which believes in itself."

Plans to build a bridge across the 3.7-kilometer-wide Strait of Messina to connect the island of Sicily to the rest of Italy have been discussed for millennia, going all the way back to the Romans, according to some historians. They were revived by 20th century fascist leader Benito Mussolini — and, a few decades later, by then-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

But, in spite of the €1.2 billion in public money spent in various studies and assessments over the years, the bridge was never built — not least because it would be located in one of the most seismically active Mediterranean regions.

The bridge is still far from being constructed. In a sign of caution, the Meloni government said the project was only conditionally approved while the technical details are being worked out, Italian newswire ANSA reported.

In December, the European Commission humored Salvini when he visited Brussels. If there’s a “sound and good project,” the Commission is ready to finance “the first phase of feasibility studies, so the project actually will take off,” Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean told reporters.

Federica Di Sario contributed reporting.