Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's office on Thursday passed a decree reviving a controversial multi-billion euro investment to build a bridge linking Sicily to the mainland.

Meloni's right-wing coalition sees the bridge as essential to bolster Italy's influence in the region and revive the economy in the south, the country's poorest region, despite doubts about its structural viability, environmental impact and cost.

The 3.2-kilometer long bridge "will represent the flagship of Italian engineering," Transport Minister Matteo Salvini said.

Seismic zone

The idea of such a bridge dates back to the Roman Empire, but modern attempts to launch the project have repeatedly failed due to the great expense of a structure linking Messina to Reggio Calabria in an earthquake-prone area.

The project, whose last plans date back to 2011, would be "adapted to new technical, safety and environmental standards," Salvini said.

Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, whose government strongly supported the project in the 2000s, said Thursday that such a work would "connect Sicily not only to Calabria, but to Italy and all of Europe."

Construction could begin in mid-2024, Berlusconi said.

Currently, the only way to cross the island to the mainland is by ferry or plane and supporters of the bridge say the bridge would reduce pollution and save time transporting people and goods.

Critics of the project, on the other hand, say that the money would be much better spent on improving the pitiful rail and road services in Sicily and Calabria.

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