The Worlds Largest Suspension Bridge on Your Doorstep

I have already posted some artists impressions of this behemoth on my blog earlier this month. For those of you who missed the article in The Telegraph yesterday I have included it here -

Italy will forge ahead with a controversial plan to build the world's largest suspension bridge, a massive structure which will arch between the mainland and Sicily, the government said on Wednesday Critics say that at six billion euros (£5.4bn), the cost of the two-and-a-half mile bridge across the Strait of Messina is far too high and have questioned the wisdom of building such a giant span in a region which is prone to earthquakes.

Some engineers have given warning that the area's huge pylons would be vulnerable to high winds.
"It's true that it costs six billion euros but this is the project and we're not going back on it," Altero Matteoli, the public works minister, told Italian radio.
He acknowledged that it would be essential to improve the ramshackle roads and railways on either side of the bridge, in Sicily and the mainland region of Calabria.

"The bridge will oblige us to improve railway and motorway infrastructure as well as the ports. It's an enormous amount of work that will also increase tourism."
The project, which Mr Matteoli said could get underway this year, was first envisioned by Silvio Berlusconi, the prime minister, when he was in office in 2001-2006, but then ditched by his centre-left successor, Romano Prodi, amid concerns that it would mostly benefit construction firms run by the mafia.

Mr Prodi's administration labelled it a vanity project and "the most useless and harmful plan of the past 100 years."
Mr Berlusconi was re-elected prime minister last year and put the project back on track.
He insists that it will create thousands of jobs, boost tourism and improve transport links between the 'toe' of the Italian mainland and Sicily, replacing ferry services.

The bridge would be able to handle nearly 5,000 cars an hour as well as high-speed trains.
The dream of building a bridge across the narrow strait was first envisioned by the Romans and later considered by Sicily's Norman rulers. The Telegraph

This is yet another landmark that will raise the profile of the region, along with the Regium waterfront development, also posted on this blog.

Accessibility is currently lacking within this region, so this is more than a few steps in the right direction.

I know at the moment confidence is low, given the state of the worldwide economy and its easy to fall into a negative mindset, but bear in mind all of you who purchased in this region have done so before the majority of the cohesion plan funds have been deployed(Complete 2013). Imagine how fabulous Calabria will be when the work is complete.

You certainly won´t be able to buy a good quality apartment with a sea view for €1980 per square M2, thats for sure.

Please don´t forget to subscribe to my posts by leaving your email address on the right, I will be publishing some interesting, useful stuff over the next few months that I would hate you to miss.

Ciao.