The Bridge over the Strait is still slipping, and in the meantime a part of the planned resources changes destination. The Government has decided to transfer 2.8 billion euros to RFI, the company that manages the Italian railway network, to reduce its debt.
The decision is contained in the decree on the extraordinary commissioners of public works, approved by the Council of Ministers after weeks of technical refinements and the transfer to the General Accounting Office of the State.
2.8 billion to RFI to reduce debt
Looking in detail, the decree provides for 1.8 billion in 2026 and a further billion in 2027 destined for RFI, the Italian railway network, for the “reduction of debt exposure”.
This is a reimbursement to the company controlled by Ferrovie dello Stato, which in recent years has advanced resources to companies and suppliers involved in railway construction sites.
Precisely these advances had contributed to the increase in the company’s indebtedness. With the intervention of the State, the debt now becomes more sustainable and allows the railway network’s accounts to be rebalanced.
To recover the necessary funds, the Government has chosen to remodulate the financial timetable of the Strait Bridge, the work intended to permanently connect Sicily and Calabria.
The revision was made possible by the delays accumulated in the start of the construction sites. In the first years of programming (between 2026 and 2029) the planned expenditure is reduced, while a greater share of funding is moved to subsequent years.
This lower initial expense therefore frees up the resources that are used to support RFI.
New calendar, Strait Bridge operational from 2034
The revision of the financial plan extends the construction time of the Messina Bridge: the new timetable brings the project until 2034, one year longer than previous forecasts. According to the Stretto di Messina company, the works should start in September and be completed by the end of 2033, with 2034 as the first year of operation of the infrastructure.
Over the last year, 1.2 billion euros are expected, mainly intended for accounting adjustments and the payment of the latest work progress reports.
Salvini slows down on deadlines
The decree comes after the stop imposed by the Court of Auditors, which forced the Government to review some procedures and remodulate the calendar.
Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini greeted the approval of the measure with “great satisfaction”, confirming the overall allocation of 13.5 billion euros for the construction of the bridge and related works.
At the same time the minister showed caution on the timing:
I no longer give monthly deadlines, because I have learned that between appeals, counter-appeals, the Court of Auditors and the no committees, I want to see the paper first and then the work begins.
Government defense and opposition criticism
For the Government, the remodulation of the funds does not change the substance of the project. The CEO of the Stretto di Messina company, Pietro Ciucci, reiterated that the overall cost of the work remains unchanged at 13.5 billion, with no new burdens on public finances.
According to the executive, the bridge continues to represent a strategic infrastructure for improving connections between the South and the rest of the country.
The opposition, however, speak of “therapeutic fury” on a project that continues to suffer delays and protests. The copyright of this statement belongs to the dem Marco Simiani, who invites the Government to concentrate resources on the “really necessary infrastructures”.
