During the presentation of the final project for the Bridge over the Strait of Messina – approved on August 6 by the Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning – the Minister of Infrastructure Matteo Salvini surprised many: the region most economically involved will not be Sicily, but Lombardy.

The data comes from a study by Open Economics, according to which the mega-construction site will generate an economic impact of 5.6 billion euros for Lombardy alone during the construction phase, compared to the 2.1 billion expected for Sicily and 1.9 billion for Calabria.

Enthusiasm among Northern companies

While in Southern Italy the project continues to divide, with criticisms related to environmental impact, costs, and the risk of mafia infiltration, large construction companies are rejoicing. The involvement of Lombardy is not accidental: the Eurolink consortium, which will carry out the work, is led by Webuild, an engineering giant based in Milan. In addition to the lead company, numerous Lombard companies in the supply chain will provide materials, technologies, and services, benefiting from the spin-off generated by an investment estimated at 13.5 billion euros.

Record numbers for GDP and employment

According to calculations by Open Economics, the bridge will produce 23.1 billion euros of added value for the Italian economy. The estimated multiplier is 1.83 euros for every euro invested. In Lombardy, the expected employment effect is over 9,300 new jobs, while in Lazio the economic impact will be 3.7 billion euros.

The Southern issue and the employment topic

Salvini, while emphasizing the weight of Northern companies, has guaranteed that training and hiring will start from Sicily and Calabria, regions that lead the European ranking of youth unemployment. The goal is to open the construction sites between September and October, along with the expropriation procedures that will affect hundreds of families in Villa San Giovanni (Calabria) and Torre Faro (Messina).