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The world's longest suspension bridge received approval last year - and it could prove particularly beneficial for British travellers. In 2025, the Italian government's proposal to construct the world's longest suspension bridge was given the go-ahead. Should it come to fruition, the structure would link the mainland region of Calabria to Sicily.

Nevertheless, considerable developments have occurred since then. The contentious Messina Bridge project, carrying an eye-watering £11.7bn price tag, encountered a significant obstacle last November, resulting in renewed delays.

Should the bridge ultimately be constructed across the Strait of Messina, as Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni remains determined to achieve, it would represent an extraordinarily ambitious infrastructure undertaking that has been debated throughout Italy for decades.

Pietro Salini, chief executive of Webuild, the engineering firm spearheading the project, described it as "transformative for the whole country" and pledged that it would "stimulate growth, employment, and lawfulness across southern Italy".

The enormous bridge, featuring two towers reaching 400-metres (1,300 feet) in height, would stretch an impressive 3.3km (2.05 miles). Three traffic lanes would occupy either side of two railway lines positioned centrally.

British visitors touring Italy would particularly welcome the development, as it would reduce their journey to Sicily to merely ten minutes, in stark contrast to the ferry crossing, which takes considerably longer than the 30-minute voyage when accounting for extensive queuing during busy periods. Speaking last year, Meloni said: "It is not an easy task but we consider it an investment in Italy's present and future, and we like difficult challenges when they make sense."

Transport minister Matteo Salvini revealed in August that the aim was to have it constructed between 2032 and 2033. He also claimed that 120,000 jobs annually would be generated, something he said would deliver economic prosperity to the impoverished regions of Sicily and Calabria, located at the tip of Italy's boot.

Rome received approval for the project in August following years of abandoned plans. One of the principal reasons plans have been abandoned historically was fears of mafia corruption, including concerns about taxpayers' money being diverted by Sicilian and Calabrian criminals.

Additional concerns have repeatedly been voiced about environmental harm, expense and safety, and given the region is amongst the most seismically active zones in the Mediterranean, designers pledged the Strait of Messina Bridge would be capable of withstanding earthquakes.

Nevertheless, in November, yet another obstacle emerged after an Italian court determined the bridge would breach EU environmental and tender regulations.

The Court of Auditors ruling concluded: "The assumptions regarding the various 'reasons of public interest' are not validated by technical bodies and are not supported by adequate documentation."

However, the Italian government is refusing to admit defeat, pledging to scrutinise the ruling thoroughly while pressing ahead with its ambitions to turn the bridge into a reality.

Beyond the need to persuade the Italian Court of Auditors and both national and EU environmental agencies, significant opposition is also expected from the 4,000 residents living on either side of the Strait.

Their properties face the threat of demolition, which could spark legal battles over the forced abandonment of their homes.

Currently, the world's longest suspension bridge is the 915 Canakkale Bridge in Turkey - which links Asia to Europe and takes six minutes to cross.

Construction across the waterway (Dardanelles Strait) commenced in 2017 and only opened to the public three years ago, slashing journey times by up to 93%.

This means travellers can avoid gruelling 90-minute ferry crossings by using the bridge, which runs from Gelibolu, Turkey, on the European side of the country, to the Asian town of Lapseki.