Strait of Messina Bridge
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The Strait of Messina Bridge was a planned suspension bridge that was to cross the Strait of Messina, a narrow section of water between the eastern tip of Sicily and the southern tip of mainland Italy. After years of discussion and planning that had come very close to beginning construction, the project was cancelled by the Italian government in October 2006.[1]
Construction was to begin in 2006 and was expected to be completed in 2012. If completed, it would have been the largest suspension bridge in the world. While the bridge had been planned for many decades, the idea for a bridge has been around since Roman times. A design for a restrained buoyant submarine tube tunnel, that would have been anchored to the seabed, was submitted by British engineer Alan Grant in an international competition promoted by the Italian government in 1970. This was awarded one of six equal first prizes.
Two ministers of the newly elected government of Romano Prodi (18 May 2006) stated their opposition to the project when taking up office. As of August 2006, the project was announced as "under review" for budgetary reasons. Citing concerns that the project was too expensive, was likely to enrich criminal gangs, and might not be earthquake-proof, the project was terminated in October 2006, over protests from southern Italian legislators.
The funds reserved for building the bridge will instead be used to improve ferry service between Messina (Sicily) and the mainland at Villa San Giovanni in Calabria and hydrofoil service from Messina to Reggio di Calabria, as well as other transportation projects.
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[edit] 2006 plan
The 2006 plan called for a single-span suspension bridge with a central span of 3,300 m (about 2 miles). This would have made the span more than 60% longer than the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge in Japan (the largest suspension bridge in the world at 1,991 metres).
Plans called for six traffic lanes (two driving lanes and one emergency lane in each direction), two railway tracks and two pedestrian lanes. In order to provide a minimum vertical clearance for navigation of 65 metres, the height of the two towers was to be 382.6 metres. This would have been taller than the Millau Viaduct in France (currently the tallest bridge in the world at 341 metres). The bridge's suspension system would have relied on two pairs of steel cables, each with a diameter of 1.24 metres and a total length, between the anchor blocks, of 5,300 metres.
The design included 20.3 km of road links and 19.8 km of railway links to the bridge. On the mainland, the bridge was to connect to the new stretch of the Salerno-Reggio Calabria motorway (A3) and to the planned Naples-Reggio Calabria High-Speed railway line; on the Sicilian side, to the Messina-Catania (A18) and Messina-Palermo (A20) motorways as well as the new Messina railway station (to be built by Rete Ferroviaria Italiana).
Geographically, the bridge was planned to connect Reggio Calabria to Messina, the two cities which face each other on either side of the strait, and form a single city. This ambitious urban project was called Area Metropolitana integrata dello Stretto (Integrated Metropolitan Area of the Strait) or simply Città dello Stretto (City of the Strait). Among the controversies surrounding the building of the bridge was strong opposition to the formation of the new city by various Sicilian nationalist groups.
A construction consortium was chosen in 2005, with actual construction set to begin in the second half of 2006. Completion was projected to take six years, at a projected cost of € 4.6 billion.
On October 12, 2006, the Italian Parliament voted 272 to 232 in favor of scrapping the plan due to the bridge's "doubtful usefullness and viability," as well as the inability of the already burdened Italian treasury to bear its share of the cost. Additionally, transport minister Alessandro Bianchi pointed out that the road and rail links leading to the location of the proposed bridge are not capable of supporting enough traffic to make the bridge profitable. Other reasons for scrapping the plan were earthquake risk and that much of the cash would be diverted to organized crime.[2][3]
[edit] Controversy and concerns
There are concerns about the role of the local mafia. It is feared that organised criminals obtain a monopoly on construction contracts by intimidating competitors and bribing local officials and then overcharging for the work, generating large profits.[citation needed]
Many also question the priority of the bridge, since some towns in Sicily are still without running water,[4] and claim that the money used for the bridge would be better spent elsewhere.
There are also those who claim that the bridge would be totally unnecessary, since the local economy is already providing for the conversion of a local former NATO airport into a commercial terminal to export vegetables to northern Europe. Alternatively, a much cheaper revamping of the current structures is claimed to be sufficient (for instance, the ferry lines on the Calabria side are now accessible by trucks only by driving through very narrow streets, which are a tight bottleneck for transport).
Finally, there are concerns about the environmental impact of the bridge, its actual feasibility, and whether it could resist earthquakes, not uncommon in the region.
[edit] The Strait
The Strait of Messina is an arm of sea to funnel shape that connects the mar Ionian to south to the Tyrrhenian one to north. The width of the varied strait from a maximum of approximately 16 km (to the height of Head of Alì in Sicily and Punta Pellaro in Calabria) until a minimum of approximately 3 km between Peloro Head in Sicily and Torre Horse in Calabria. A similar distance separates Piece from Ganzirri; in that point, the strait has a depth of 72 m (while in other points they touch i 2000 m). The Strait is characterized from running forts, than entirety al phenomenon (here rather frequent) della Morgana Fairy has contributed to make of an important place della Greek and classic mythology; Omero imagined that two monstrous creatures, Scilla and Cariddi, was hidden on the opposite, ready sides to throw on the passage ships. The same currents make of the Strait an ecosystem much peculiar one, in which they find just the habitat species animals and only vegetables for the Mediterranean. Equally peculiar it is the movement of aerial masses above the Strait, that it represents one broken off privileged continuation from the greater part of the migratory birds.
[edit] History of Project
[edit] Antiquity
The idea to realize a bridge that joins Calabria and Sicily was born in the antiquity; of the Roman it is already said that they were resolutions to make to journey the troops on a bridge of boats and botti. Carlomagno was proposed to join the two sides with a series of bridges, to the construction of which would have had to contribute all the people of the Empire; the idea was resumption later on also from the Normanno Roberto the Guiscardo (XI century) and from Ruggero II of Sicily (XIII century). In the 1876 on. Convinced Zanardelli of the opportunity of a fixed work between the two coasts asserted: "Over the flutti or under flutti the Sicily it is joined to the Continent", megaphone of a running opinion, and authoritative studies. In the 1866 Minister of the Jobs Jacini Publics engineer Alfredo Cottrau already had person in charge, technician of international reputation, to study a plan of bridge between Calabria and Sicily. Later, in 1870, the idea of submarine connection of Navone engineer was been born also; the plan inspired to that one of one gallery in the Sleeve, of Napoleone. It previewed to enter in gallery to Contesse and coming down to 150 meters to sottopassare Messina and Ganzirri crossing the Strait until Tip Piece and going back to Tower Horse. In 1909 the strait of Messina was published a geologic study of the zone (historical Arch. sicialian year XXXIV f.1,2) but riparlò of submarine gallery only in 1921, when the Vismara, to the Geographic Conference of Florence, introduced one study of gallery under the Strait of Messina. The last attempt was made in the immediate eve of the last conflict but the completed searches cut every new hope. A plan of suspended bridge was studied in the 1883 from a group of engineers of the railroads, but not if it made some null. The idea was resumption in the 1950 from the Ing. Steinman with a plan of construction of a bridge that had to scavalcare the Strait in three leaps with pylons, two, high 220 meters over the level dell' water and for 120 meters under the sea, with ascensori of deep control delle structures dal low sul dello Tightened until alla top. The bridge, to light centers them of 1.524 meters, would have represented a world-wide record, in how much the lights fine then caught up was the 1,275 meters of the Golden Gate. High from the surface of the water 50 meters in order to concur the passage of whichever ship in the Strait, along 2.988 meters and to two plans, in the inferior the railway binary double quantity and in a that advanced road of 7 meters and 30 of lateral width and two tracks the bridge would have had cables, thesis between the pylons, of a meter of diameter; the bridge would have demanded the job of 12 mila laborers and one spold around to the 100 billions. One spoke about society Americans disposed to finance the work. And the guarantee of the planner was offered, producer of the famous bridge to Saint Francisco.
[edit] Plans of 1960s
Not much famous one, but exists from the half 60 years a plan of alternative bridge to that one to only span, the so-called Bridge of Archimedes. Such structure would come completely constructed dipped in the water, to one score of meters from the supported surface and for the greater part from the same force of Archimede(da which the name). In this case the structure could more be snella inasmuch as the sismiche sollicitations of an eventual earthquake would be dampened (and some sismiche waves propagano at all) from the presence of the liquid around. Also eventual waves of maremoto, in opened sea, have height modest, and therefore they would not represent a problem. Similar speech for the currents, their intensity, for how much elevating in the strait, would have been of inferior orders of magnitude to the bearable sollicitations from the structure. The technical feasibility of the original plan was given for sure, even if, in the last years, the plan has been completely set aside in favor of one more scenica (but to impact it acclimatizes them enormously advanced) construction to only span
[edit] Alternative suggestions
- A tunnel to submergeeed and berthed tubes, that the prevalence of the hydrostatic push previewed "to maintain to constant the level of the tunnel contrasting on the weight of the structure, is to empty that R-a.pieno.carico, by means of steel cables in tension berthed on the marine bottom". (Ing Cristaldi).
- A Bridge to hydrostatic support, constructed with girders and metallic batteries, unloading on floating struts (Ing Saya).
- A tunnel realized with submergeeed tubes and supports to you on high batteries to reef approximately 50 metri.(Ing. Merlini).
- An interesting plan of the ing.Lombardi previewed "a bridge to submergeeed and not emerged bending" that, not being able neither to emerge, neither to sink it would be free from the infuences of the sismici motions, the current and the wind. One be a matter of a long bridge-tunnel 3.300 meters, divided in three sections, of which two of 1.500 meters and one centers them of 300 meters mails in horizontal to 25 meters under the water. The plan has been illustrated in an article appeared on the Sicily the 1/5/1968. The manufatto one to circular section with diameter of 32 meters previewed 2 inferior galleries parallels for the railway circulation and two advanced galleries for the circulation to veicolare.
- More evocative plan, that one of the Ing. Massaro. A tunnel submergeeed to lenticular hydrodynamics, autoportante for the principle of Archimedes, not legacy to the sottosuolo, difficult and tellurically dangerous shape, of the Strait and located where the sea is wider and deep and the marine currents is of smaller intensity. The submergeeed bridge would have been resisted in equilibrium from appropriate floating islands. The submergeeed tunnel could have been constructed more to south of the port of Messina, between Gaulish Fiumara of and Fiumara di Gazziri, distant 8,100 meters and in a zone where the depth of the sea is of 400 meters. The plan looked on to that the city of Reggio city of Messina would have become single metropoli in the heart of which the floating tunnel, would have become like the bridge that joins two quarters.
- A bridge-raft of the messinese Patané the whose plan previewed a connection by means of a convoy of long pontate lighters ciascuna a hundred of wide meters and fifty, able ones to support on one corsia of 10 meters the two railway railroads and in the two from twenty meters ciascuna two street corsie. The all berthed one to two pylons you mail close to the two sides and connected to they from two revolving bridges in a position to concurring the marine traffic. Also quì the same atmosphere reservoirs characterized, approximately difficolta of one navigation of 30 mila ships to the bound year in directional and conditioned corsie to the useful times of the revolving bridges.
[edit] Plans of 1970s
In 1968, it came emanated law 384 that it conferred to the ANAS, the Railroads of the State, and to the CNR the assignment to acquire ulterior elements of judgment approximately the feasibility of the enterprise. The successive year the Ministry of the Jobs Publics with D.M. 134 advertised an international competition for a plan of viario and railway attraversamento of the Strait to which 143 contenders participated. In 1971, the creation of a stable connection between Sicily and Calabria were authorized from the law n.1158 of 17 December with the constitution of one society of private right to understood them public for the study, the planning and construction of the stable attraversamento of the Strait.
[edit] Plans of 1980s
This but realized alone ten years after, in 1981, with the constitution of the Tight Society of Messina S.P.A. to which to the ITASTAT and the IRI with 51% financially participated and Railroads of the State, ANAS, Sicily Region and Calabria Region in equal percentages of 12.25% everyone. The Tight Society of Messina, was therefore the concessionaire be them for the planning and realization of the work; 27 December 1985 defined a convention with ANAS and FS, and the 16 june 1986 introduced a Relationship of feasibility, from which it turned out that the bridge was technically realizable and economically convenient respect to other solutions. Then the president of the Roman IRI Prodi said that it was a priority and could begin the jobs in 1996. The Board of directors of the the 19/2/1987 FS deliberated anch' it in favor of the solution of the suspended bridge. This general result will be confirmed then from ulterior studies lead within the end of the decade from FS, Higher council of the Jobs Publics and ANAS. In this period it is agreed that the bridge will have to be of aerial type, that is suspended.
[edit] Plans of 1990s
In the first years ' the 90 Tight Societies of Messina produce a definitive plan of principle for the Bridge, comprehensive of expense forecasts, times of execution and impact appraisal acclimatizes them. ANAS and FS later on are expressed favorably on such plan, that it comes approved of in the 1997 from the Higher council of the Jobs Publics.
[edit] Alternative Plans
[edit] The thesis of the istmo
In the 1957 an Italian Company for sicilian-calabra conjunction (CO.SI.CA. was delivered up to Palermo), for the study of new solutions of connection and soon it introduced to the President of the Sicialian Region the plan of istmo between Ganzirri and Punta a Piece. The plan was inspired to other similar realizations. In the 1936 they had been joined Germany and Rügen, between Festland and Nordstand, just with the construction of a istmo artificial. Analogous it had been made in California on the strait of Island and in Scozia in order to join the Orkney islands and in the connection of the two sides of the strait of Canso, between Nova Scotia and the island of Breton Head, inaugurated in August of 1955. It originates them plan for the strait of Messina previewed the construction of a istmo along 3.400 meters constituted from full of rocks finding with escarpments covered from elements of great dimensions, actions to resist on the credit side action of waves and currents. The dam, pyramidal, would be emerged of ten meters on the sea level. In top, wide 30 meters, one railway line to binary double quantity, the freeway and one ciclabile track. Combining Ganzirri-Punta Piece had been chosen because I found them is a "saddleback" that separates founds them navy of the part north, that they reach until 285 meters, from I found them of the part south, the whose maximum depth is of 1.145 meters. "conca" navigable, long thousand meters approximately and of width and such depths being navigable with whichever type of ship, with channels of access on the side calabra, would have been dug in the cape of Tip Piece. The oppositori of the plan asserted that the proposal was unattainable in how much the closing bulwark of the Strait would have intercepted the imposing movement of water that verification periodically between the two seas, with unforeseeable and incalculable consequences. And there was who pointed out that the intense movement of ships cannot be forced that cover the Strait within narrow limits of passage.
[edit] External links
- Guardian Unlimited "Italian MPs kill plan to bridge Sicily and mainland" [1]
- BBC News "Italy drops Sicily bridge plans" [2]
- Bridge design site (English version)
- BBC News "Sicily bridge constructor named"
- Transcript of RAI broadcast Report about the bridge. (Italian)
[edit] References
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6043626.stm
- ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/italy/story/0,,1920199,00.html
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6043626.stm
- ^ http://www.waterconserve.info/articles/reader.asp?linkid=13659
[edit] Further reading
- Fabio Spadi (2001) "The Bridge on the Strait of Messina: 'Lowering' the Right of Innocent Passage?" International and Comparative Law Quarterly 50: 411 ff.
