Stretto di Messina S.p.A, 2006 - 2012
The Messina Bridge
Straight of Messina
If completed, the bridge over the Strait of Messina -- the two-mile-wide body of water separating Sicily from the Italian mainland -- would become the longest suspension bridge ever built, stretching 2.5 miles end to end. Given the size of the span, a cable-stayed or rigid-frame bridge would have been the obvious choice. But the depth of the water made that impossible.
To that problem, add wind, earthquakes, and money. To date, the project backers have solved the first three. But despite a promise from the Italian government to fund 50% of the costs, Stretto di Messina has yet to raise the full funding for what it says will cost $5 billion dollars and take 11 years to build.