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Italy to build the world's largest suspension bridge

telegraph.co.uk — Italy will forge ahead with a controversial plan to build the world's largest suspension bridge, which will arch between the mainland and Sicily. Although engineers have given warning that the area's huge pylons would be vulnerable to high winds, Berlusconi gave green light to this new "world wonder" which costs 6 Billion euros ($7.6 US Billion)!

Who dugg this? Made popular Feb 27, 2009

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  • JanK1, on 02/27/2009, -1/+29You must construct additional pylons!!
  • Pseudorious, on 02/27/2009, -1/+166 billion Euros isn't actually that much, and as a stimulus plan, is fantastic. Sicily has long been the poorest part of Italy, but with driving access to the mainland, this could change quickly.

    The Mafia construction firms concern is troubling, though I don't see how it's different from building something in Providence RI or South Jersey/Philadelphia.
  • nobleexperiment, on 02/27/2009, -0/+13That's awesome. So Berlusconi decides to give this ***** the green light while TrenItalia trains are running on 45 minute delays and they can't afford to put the 6 billion euros to add Eurostar Italia rail stations to other cities like Reggio Emilia, Parma and I doubt Placenza has one so they'll need one too. The Trenitalia trains may be superior than many Amtrak trains here in the states, but good lord a bridge to Sicily that looks like the Verzano-Narrows Bridge to Staten Island. Trenitalia is a mess.

    Ditch the Bridge and improve Trenitalia instead. I'm not going to talk about Amtrak cos it's a joke here.

    Just a thought from an American who frequents to Italy every month.
  • MrAwesomeMan, on 02/27/2009, -0/+12I wouldn't set foot on that bridge. I've seen how they build towers.
  • hamobu, on 02/27/2009, -0/+8"Although engineers have given warning that the area's huge pylons would be vulnerable to high winds, Berlusconi gave green light to this new "world wonder" which costs 6 Billion euros ($7.6 US Billion)! "

    What do stupid engineers know anyways!
  • Laura201, on 02/27/2009, -2/+10That pic looks so real.
  • inactive, on 02/27/2009, -0/+7Berlusconi = *****
  • MikeyBillz, on 02/27/2009, -0/+6In a related story, the Sicilian Mafia just bought about 300 18-wheeler trucks for their new "export/import" business....
  • cubicledrone, on 02/27/2009, -2/+8Meanwhile, we couldn't build a snack in America if someone handed us a cracker and a bowl of guacamole.
  • inactive, on 02/27/2009, -0/+5Tell that to the pyramids.
  • diceau, on 02/27/2009, -2/+7How is it a "World Wonder" when we can watch how they're going to do it?

    It'd be a wonder for about 10 seconds: "I wonder how they are building that ... OH, that's how. Cool."
  • schnikies79, on 02/27/2009, -0/+5Buried for being off-topic.

    Keep your rants to relevant articles, thanks.
  • Pseudorious, on 02/27/2009, -1/+6It'll be a wonder when we discover the Mafia built it entirely out of toothpicks and papermache to save on building materials.
  • sweetgirls, on 02/27/2009, -2/+6Amazing...Another world breaking record...I love to pass by on that bridge...
  • HappyScrappy, on 02/27/2009, -0/+4I cannot imagine that they would actually build a suspension bridge. Cable-stayed is all the rage now, and I think they are cheaper and a bit more stable in wind.
  • inactive, on 02/27/2009, -1/+5As a Sicilian, I will tell you right now that this plan will never actually be implemented.
  • matude, on 02/27/2009, -0/+4Everybody probably already knows this bridge, but just another example of crazy bridges in Southern-Europe:
    http://lifewithoutbuildings.net/041214_millau.jpg
  • EarlOfLade, on 02/27/2009, -0/+4Is this the right wing way of dealing with problems? To run away?

    The correct thing to do, is of course to stay and fight for change or do you want to take the country back to stone age level?
  • inactive, on 02/27/2009, -4/+8This is sure to end in disaster...
  • eh123, on 02/27/2009, -1/+4Sure they say it will cost 6 billion Euros, but the real costs will be closer to 20 billion when you factor in cost overruns, mismanagement, delays, union and mafia interference. Hopefully it will take the "world's biggest boondoggle" title away from America's Big Dig Project.
  • maximilen, on 02/27/2009, -0/+3Construction will probably be finished just in time Venice sinks. Not a good enough replacement though :(
  • gidd, on 02/27/2009, -1/+4FTA: "Some engineers have given warning that the area's huge pylons would be vulnerable to high winds." Don't they mean, "the _bridge's_ huge pylons would be vulnerable to the _area's_ high winds", or something like that?

    Unless the area already has a lot of huge pylons for some reason, and the bridge would make them susceptible to high winds, somehow.
  • inactive, on 02/27/2009, -4/+7So the largest bridge in the world will only cost 7.5 billion dollars while the auto industry is begging for another 30? WTF!
  • Rhythmix, on 02/27/2009, -0/+3Not enough minerals.
  • gellfex, on 02/27/2009, -0/+3At no point is there a demand cited for such a 5000 car per hour bridge! That takes a lot of economic activity, and Sicily is notoriously poor.
  • cubicledrone, on 02/27/2009, -1/+4What have we invented since the late 1960s? What have we built that wasn't accompanied by a bunch of tie-wearing ***** whining about the cost?

    Outside of over-hyped pharmaceuticals and Sham-wow, I'll give you a hint: zilch.
  • elbergel, on 02/27/2009, -0/+3Somewhere in the the depths of the Strait of Messina, Scylla and Charybdis are plotting...
  • whitej, on 02/27/2009, -0/+3Google Maps: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q& ...
  • scentaroom, on 02/27/2009, -5/+7Finally the people from Italy can say" they have the big one"
  • dsfjvhbd, on 02/27/2009, -0/+21.) You could rent ferries to meet the demand at a fraction of the price
    2.) There is a reason, why there are so many volcanoes in the area. The strait of Messina is a tectonic boundary, like the San Andreas fault. They bridge over that.
    3.) Another government will be there and end the project long before it is finished.
  • inactive, on 02/27/2009, -0/+2Um yes it is a joke in the northeast... Empire service in NY is delayed all the time, Aclea Bos-Wash is never on time and doesn't even move at high speed most of the way, Bos-to-Albany takes 5 hours (3 by car on I-90...), Ethan Allen to VT. is never on time... need I go on?
  • simbait, on 02/27/2009, -0/+2"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."

    Stupid Berlusconi mentality. Blame the lack of the bridge to what withheld the improvement of rails and road in Calabria and Sicily. Hell the Palermo-Catania Train top speed is 50Kmh, Messina-Palermo highway is on its 30 years of construction with NO END date. Salerno-Calabria "should" be finished in 2012. A and yes in Apulia too trains go 50 kmh.

    Once these are done, yes the bridge is ***** cool and it'll shorten trips by 10 minutes.
  • hamobu, on 02/27/2009, -0/+2Actually, world tallest bridge in France was built on time and within budget, so such things are possible.
  • Ursad, on 02/28/2009, -0/+2Not enough vespene gas.

    No wait.. we don't need gas.
  • TheSkunkMonkey, on 02/27/2009, -1/+3Ah, nothing like an Engineering penis contest..

    Mine's biggest!

    It will be really interesting to see how well it holds up to Mother Nature. She has a nasty habit of taking out "world wonders".
  • PR1811, on 02/27/2009, -0/+2What a massive waste of money, you could bailout almost one bank with that amount of money!
  • eihwaz, on 02/27/2009, -0/+2They've talked about that bridge for the last 20 years, and it's never been done. They even fake-started building it something like 4-5 years ago, some politic put the first piece of concrete, and then it all went bankrupt. Now they want to start again, great.
    Except that it is a seismic area (the African continent is pushing upwards towards Eurasia… and guess what, Sicily is right in between), so building a bridge is a hell of a stupid idea. Bot ok, let's say they still build it. With the amount of money they're putting in it, it will take decades to pay it back. And don't forget that you can already pass that strip of sea by boat, paying less than you will using the bridge, and taking just like 5-10 minutes more.
    But hey, if Silvio wants it, Silvio will have it. We live in a beautiful country, but when it comes to politics… well, let's just say Silvio was a great friend of Bush.
  • Leviathan433, on 02/27/2009, -0/+1Nay-sayers.
  • EarlOfLade, on 02/27/2009, -0/+1Oh come on... Are you Italians that sore? I'm ripping Americans new ones quite frequently here so I'm just trying to be fair :)

    And not one single person has mentioned Rocco?

  • Nerdculture, on 02/27/2009, -0/+1I wish I could digg this up twice. After spending extended time in southern Italy I must say that the trains there (and other places) could really use some help. This is especially true because they get so much use!
  • dorthensensens, on 02/27/2009, -0/+15-10 minutes more?! Uh I haven't lived in Calabria for a long while but I remember the trip taking up to 2 hours from getting to the port, waiting to board your car plus everyone elses car, backing up the boat, moving across the straight, slowing down, getting every f'ing person get in their car and moving and gettin onto land. A 2.5 km bridge sounds like it will take far less time.
  • Rethcir, on 02/27/2009, -0/+1Grande Scavare?
  • simbait, on 02/27/2009, -0/+1Scherzi? proprio l'altro giorno ho preso la Messian-Palermo ... dopo ovviamente aver fatto la Salerno-Reggio Calabria a tutta valocita'. Ero incerto se prendere il treno, sai l'alta velocita'

    Translation: Are you joking, just yesterday I took the Messian-Palermo motroway (never finished) ... obviously after speeding on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria motorway (10+ years of upgrade work). I was uncertain if to take the train, you know High Speed Trains ...
  • danj484, on 02/27/2009, -0/+1Protip: Italy is in Italy, not the United States.
  • Leviathan433, on 02/27/2009, -0/+1No-No- Notorious
  • jgubbe, on 02/27/2009, -0/+1YOU CAN DO IT! - Rob Schneider
  • TheOneTrueGod, on 02/28/2009, -0/+1Someone really wants a Blue Ribbon.
  • Juaquin, on 02/27/2009, -0/+1Well I assume there are engineers who designed the bridge, ran the calculations, and think it can work. They could be wrong, but I'm sure they'll test computer models, models in wind tunnels, etc, until they're sure it's safe to build.
  • sgnpkd, on 02/28/2009, -0/+1The Chinese will build something bigger in a year.
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