The Italian government has given final approval to a €13.5 billion project that will build the world's longest suspension bridge. It will cross the Messina Strait to connect the island of Sicily with Calabria on the tip of Italy's boot. Building this bridge has been dreamt of since the Roman Empire, but it has never happened for many reasons. This is one of the most seismically active areas in the Mediterranean, so the bridge is specially designed to withstand earthquakes. It will span 3.3 km, and stretch between two towers that are over 400 metres high. There will be two railway lines in the middle and three lanes of road traffic on either side. The goal is for it to open in 2033. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has worked hard to promote this project. She says that, “It has not been easy, but we enjoy difficult challenges when they make sense. This is an investment in Italy's future". At present, the only way for commerce to flow to or from Sicily is by plane, boat, or on a train that must be carried by a ferry across the strait. This severely limits the economy of the island. The bridge will give it a huge boost by allowing direct shipment of people and products on trucks and trains from the mainland.