A Program Agreement for the construction of the Strait of Messina Bridge was formally signed at Italy’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT), announced in an official statement.
The agreement was signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure Matteo Salvini, Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, Sicilian Regional President Renato Schifani, Calabrian Regional President Roberto Occhiuto, Strait of Messina S.p.A. CEO Pietro Ciucci, Italian Railway Network (RFI) CEO Aldo Isi, and Anas CEO Claudio Gemme. Alessandro Morelli, Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, also attended the signing.
Pietro Ciucci, CEO of the Strait of Messina company, stated in a release: “The new Program Agreement is a further crucial step in the project’s implementation process, ahead of CIPESS approval. The Agreement’s objective is to define and regulate in advance the commitments and roles of each party to optimise construction timelines for the bridge and its link roads, ensuring full transport functionality for the permanent connection between the two coasts.” He added, “The bridge is a fundamental piece of Italy’s road and rail mobility. Today’s signed document demonstrates the commitment and unity of the entire Italian system – the Government, the Sicilian Region, the Calabrian Region, and major infrastructure operators RFI and Anas.”
The agreement defines roles and schedules for ancillary infrastructure projects accompanying the bridge construction. These include revamping Villa San Giovanni’s waterfront, developing metro lines, completing the Salerno-Reggio Calabria high-speed railway, and specific highway works.
This occurs pending the project’s final approval by the Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning and Sustainable Development (CIPESS), which Minister Salvini pledged will occur by July. Clarification is also needed with the European Union regarding the project’s potential dual civilian-military nature, determining if it qualifies under EU defence spending targets.
CIPESS approval represents the critical juncture for launching the main bridge project, requiring an updated final design, results of service conferences, conclusions from the environmental impact assessment technical commission, and the financial plan. Subsequent stages involve phased executive design and declarations of public utility enabling land expropriations.
The current Program Agreement covers connecting highway and rail links to the bridge. Specific commitments include:
**Anas Projects:** Transferring the decommissioned Villa San Giovanni East Service Area to the Strait of Messina company post-CIPESS approval; relocating the Villa San Giovanni West Service Area (handled by Strait of Messina S.p.A.); developing solutions to maintain operation of the East Service Area during works; approving a highway crossing between the former service areas for construction site functionality.
**RFI Projects:** Completing the Buonabitacolo-Praia and Gioia Tauro-Reggio Calabria sections of the Battipaglia-Reggio Calabria high-speed/capacity line; establishing connections by 2032 between the Strait of Messina works and the traditional Battipaglia-Reggio Calabria line towards Villa San Giovanni and Reggio Calabria; building connecting branches between the Santa Cecilia tunnel and the Messina-Catania line by 2032; constructing the new Messina Gazzi station, pending local agreement on repurposing Messina Centrale station.
**Strait of Messina S.p.A. Projects:** Building metro stops at Papardo, Annunziata, and Europa to utilise the new rail infrastructure for metropolitan transit; masking the Cannitello Railway Bypass; completing the Villa San Giovanni waterfront redevelopment.