«Where are we at? We are in the trenches, because as often happens in Italy, not only for this bridge, we always end up divided like in a football derby between those in favor and those against. With one not negligible difference: that those against are often very active and noisy, while those in favor who also exist are more calm, let’s say wait-and-see”.
He said this in an interview that appears on May issue of TimesPietro Ciucci, CEO of the Stretto di Messina company since last year.
«I see that in Italy there is a sort of “pentism of great works”, which first oppose each other in every way and only then are recognized as drivers of change in our society. Because after having then opposed them, without anyone ever saying mea culpa, we end up recognizing ex post that they were necessary, indeed indispensable for the development of the country, and that they brought about epochal and positive changes. It will also be the same for the Strait Bridge.”
Exaggerated controversy
In the interview, Ciucci says that the controversies over the bridge are often exaggerated «even on normal episodes, such as the fact that the Ministry of the Environment asked for a series of clarifications during a procedure for assessing the impact of a construction project this type. In fact, we have already started the Services Conference and in this process the ministry has legitimately requested around 240 clarifications. But we are talking about a project made up of around ten thousand documents, of a bridge worth over 13 billion euros, the longest suspended single-span bridge in the world, which includes 40 kilometers of road and rail connections, all operating in thirteen protected areas . In my opinion, the number of additions requested by Mase is appropriate, given such a vast and important job. We will give the answers and the process will continue to reach Cipess [Comitato interministeriale per la programmazione economica e lo sviluppo sostenibile, ndr] for the approval of the definitive project, appropriately integrated, and the declaration of public utility – a precondition for starting the expropriations -, but also and above all with the validation of the financial plan of the work. It means that coverage for the entire needs of the works will be guaranteed right from the start, something unique in a country like ours where the lack of resources has often been the reason for delays or even the interruption of even important works. This step will therefore be a guarantee of solidity and also of non-reversibility of the project. We are exactly at this point.”
Graduality in expropriations
Even on the topic of expropriations, says Ciucci, there has been «bad communication. We, however, are trying to be as transparent as possible. We have updated, without major changes, the 2011 expropriation plan. It is required by law that, after the start of the Services Conference, a notice will be published with the list of names and parcels of companies and private individuals who will be involved from expropriation procedures for public utility. Immediately afterwards, 60 days are given to collect comments, observations and criticisms from interested parties. We have gone further: we have opened two offices in Messina and Villa San Giovanni as a meeting point for expropriated people. They were inaugurated last April 8th and since then we have already collected requests for almost 500 appointments. Some people instead fan the flames and try to speculate by saying that “they’ll send you away from tomorrow”, but the truth is that no one is being kicked out, with the approval of Cipess it’s not like the excavators will arrive the following day, a project of this type it doesn’t work like that and requires gradual interventions. We will deal with expropriations, especially those of the first homes which will be the most delicate, delicately, seeking the most appropriate times and methods to contain what is certainly much more than a nuisance: leaving the house is something truly problematic and our dutiful attention is not will miss”.
From Northern to Southern Europe
The bridge over the Strait of Messina will have a span of three kilometers and 300 metres. «This wing structure which has now taken on the name “Messina Style” – says the CEO Times – is already the model for many other smaller bridges around the world. I would say that the time has come to have a “Messina Style” bridge on the Strait of Messina too.”
«With the Strait Bridge we will finally have the last missing link to create this vital axis of communication between Northern and Southern Europe. Because in the meantime both the Brenner tunnel and the submarine connection between Germany and Denmark will have been completed, which is scheduled to be completed between 2028 and 2029, while we expect our bridge to be finished in 2032.”
Costs
As regards costs, according to Ciucci, the bridge will be repaid «in approximately three-four years, that is, a public work of this magnitude and with a life expectancy of two hundred years would be amortized in a very short time. Virtually nothing. To this we add that there is an occupation directly brought about by the existence of the bridge. Not just the employees who will work on the construction sites, which will still remain open for about eight years. But also a share of employment destined to remain over time, the direct one for the management of the bridge, and above all the one generated by everything that moves an infrastructure of this type in terms of opportunities. […] By the way, what is missing and what will have to be done is precisely to bring the high speed up to Reggio Calabria and giving the possibility of extending it over time to Sicily will mean getting a user composed of another 5 million Italians on fast trains. An inevitable prospect: it is no coincidence that the investments underway on the Sicilian and Calabrian railways already take into account a similar development. Other than a cathedral in the desert, as some say.”
The complete interview with Pietro Ciucci you can read it here.
