Strait-of-Messina-Bridge

StraitofMessinaBridge1StraitofMessinaBridgeSatellitephotooftheStraitofMessina,takenJune2002.NASAimage.TheStraitofMessinaBridgeisalong-plannedsuspensionbridgeacrosstheStraitofMessina,anarrowsectionofwaterbetweentheeasterntipofSicilyandthesoutherntipofmainlandItaly.In2006,underPrimeMinisterRomanoProditheprojectwascancelled.However,on6March2009,aspartofamassivenewpublicworksprogramme,SilvioBerlusconi'sgovernmentannouncedthatconstructionoftheMessinaBridgewouldindeedgoahead,pledging€1.3 billionasacontributiontothebridge'stotalcost,estimatedat€6.1 billion.Thebridgewouldbethelargestsuspensionbridgeintheworld,almostdoublingthemainspanoftheAkashi-KaikyoinJapan.ThebridgeispartoftheLine1ofTrans-EuropeanTransportNetworks(TEN-T).InFebruary2013,theprojectwascancelledagain.GeographyTheStraitofMessinaisafunnel-shapedarmofseathatconnectstheIonianSeainthesouthtotheTyrrhenianSeatothenorth.Thewidthofthestraitvariesfromamaximumofapproximately16 km(9.9miles)(betweenCapod'AlìinSicilyandPuntaPellaroinCalabria)toaminimumofapproximately3 km(1.9miles)betweenCapoPeloroinSicilyandTorreCavalloinCalabria.AsimilardistanceseparatesPezzoandGanzirri;atthatpoint,thestraitisonly72 m(236 ft)deep,whileinotherplacesitcanreach200 m(660 ft)deep.Itisalsocharacterisedbystrongcurrents.HistoryTheideaofabridgecrossingthestraitisanoldone.TheRomansconsideredbuildingabridgejoiningCalabriaandSicilymadeofboatsandbarrels.Charlemagneconsideredjoiningthetwosideswithaseriesofbridges.ThisideawasrevivedbytheNormanadventurerRobertGuiscardinthe11thcenturyandbyRogerIIofSicilyinthe12thcentury.[citationneeded]In1876,GiuseppeZanardelliwasconvincedthatthestraitcouldbelinkedbyeitherabridgeoratunnel.In1866,publicworksministerStefanoJacinigaveAlfredoCottrau,aninternationallyrecognisedengineer,thetaskofdrawingupplansforabridgebetweenCalabriaandSicily.Later,in1870,NavoneproposedbuildingatunnelbasedonNapoleon'sideaofatunnelundertheEnglishChannel.ThistunnelwastostartatContesseandwastopassbelowMessinaandGanzirriatadepthof150 m,crossingtheStraittoPuntaPezzoandresurfacingatTorreCavallo.AgeologicstudyoftheareaoftheStraitofMessinawaspublishedin1909(historicalArch.SicilianyearXXXIVf.1,2)andin1921,astudyofanunderseatunnelwasreleasedtotheGeographicConferenceofFlorence.Agroupofrailwaycivilengineersstudiedthepossibilityofasuspensionbridgebutnothingcameofit.Theideawasrevivedin1953bymasterbridgebuilderDavidB.SteinmanwithaplantobuildabridgethatcrossedtheStraitusingtwo220 m(720 ft)towerssunkin120 m(390 ft)deepwaters.Theproposed1,524 m(5,000 ft)spanwouldhaverepresentedaworldrecord,eclipsingthethen-longest1,275 m(4,183 ft)centrespanoftheGoldenGateBridgeandbeatingthe2,256 m(7,402 ft)MackinacStraitsBridge(theninplanning)withatotallengthof2,988 m(9,803 ft).Theproposedstructurewouldhaveclearedtheseaby50 m(160 ft)toallowshippingpassage,andtohavehadtwodecks,thelowertocarrytworaillines,and7 m(23 ft)above,aroaddeck30 m(98 ft)wide.Themaincableswouldhavebeen1 m(39 in)diameter.Thebridgewouldhaverequired12,000workersandcosthundredsofbillionsoflire.StraitofMessinaBridge2Earlyplanningstages••Inthe1960s,awidevarietyofideasevolvedwitheverythingfromsubmergedtubestofloatingstruts,pontoonsandarevolvingcentralsectionofthebridge.Noneturnedouttoberealistic.•In1969,aninternationaldesigncompetitionwasarranged.InitiallyawardedtoSergioMusmeci(withthecollaborationofPierLuigiNervi),thewinningplanwasdismissedastoofuturisticforthetime.•Inthe1970s,feasibilitystudieswereundertakenbytheStateRailwaysleadingtothecreationofaprivatecompanywithresponsibilityforplanningthecrossingoftheStrait.•Inthe1980s,theMessinaStraitCompany(StrettodiMessinaS.p.A.)wassetupwithsupportfromtheStateRailways,theregionsandIRI.Itconcludedthatitwouldbefeasibletobuildasuspensionbridge.••Detailedplansfollowedinthe1990swithfinalapprovalfromtheHighCouncilofPublicWorks(ConsiglioSuperioredeiLavoriPubblici).DevelopmentofdetailedplansCross-sectionaldiagramoftheStraitofMessinaBridgeThe2006plancalledforasingle-spansuspensionbridgewithacentralspanof3,300 m(10,800 ft).Thiswouldhavemadethespanmorethan60%longerthantheAkashi-KaikyoBridgeinJapan(thelargestsuspensionbridgeintheworldat1,991 m(6,532 ft).Planscalledforsixtrafficlanes(twodrivinglanesandoneemergencylaneineachdirection),tworailwaytracksandtwopedestrianlanes.Inordertoprovideaminimumverticalclearancefornavigationof65 m(213 ft),theheightofthetwotowerswastobe382.6 m(1,255 ft).ThiswouldhavebeentallerthantheMillauViaductinFrance(currentlythetallestbridgeintheworldat341 m(1,119 ft)).Thebridge'ssuspensionsystemwouldhavereliedontwopairsofsteelcables,eachwithadiameterof1.24 m(49 in)andatotallength,betweentheanchorblocks,of5,300 m(17,400 ft).Thedesignincluded20.3 km(12.6miles)ofroadlinksand19.8 km(12.3miles)ofrailwaylinkstothebridge.Onthemainland,thebridgewastoconnecttothenewstretchoftheSalerno-ReggioCalabriamotorway(A3)andtotheplannedNaples-ReggioCalabriaHigh-Speedrailwayline;ontheSicilianside,totheMessina-Catania(A18)andMessina-Palermo(A20)motorwaysaswellasthenewMessinarailwaystation(tobebuiltbyReteFerroviariaItaliana)