By Angelo Amante
ROME (Reuters) -The Italian Court of Auditors on Wednesday discussed a landmark government project for a bridge connecting the island of Sicily to the mainland, after raising doubts over the decision to revive the decades-old plan.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government has set aside 13.5 billion euros ($15.7 billion) for the 3.7-kilometre (2.3-mile) structure, a project Italy had dropped in 2012 due to its high costs.
The construction of a link between the Sicilian city of Messina and nearby mainland Calabria won government approval in August under strong pressure from Matteo Salvini, the infrastructure minister and leader of the far-right League party.
FINANCING FOR PROJECT FACES SCRUTINY
The bridge faced multiple hurdles during the Court of Auditors’ initial review, which aimed to assess its compliance with laws and budget rules.
“Our assessment is particularly rigorous because this… is public money. We need to ensure the project starts with adequate financing and will not later require interruptions that would be very damaging,” Court of Auditors councillor Carmela Mirabella said during a hearing on the case in Rome on Wednesday.
A source at the court said a decision on whether to validate the project was expected within the next 24 hours.
BRIDGE HAS DIVIDED OPINION
A Court rejection would not necessarily amount to a definitive halt to the project but it would represent a serious blow for the government, after Salvini promised to begin works this year.
Depending on the court reasoning, the cabinet could vote to override the objections and force the judges to validate the plan “with reservations.” Without the court’s backing, however, the project may face further hurdles down the line.
The bridge has sharply divided opinion: critics call it unnecessary and harmful to the environment in an area that has suffered devastating earthquakes. Supporters argue that a fast rail and road connection would boost development in Sicily and Calabria, two of Italy’s least developed southern regions.
“I refuse to believe that anyone would consider halting a plan that will elevate our country to the level of the world’s major players,” Salvini said this week.
The contract for the Strait of Messina bridge project has been awarded to the Eurolink consortium following an international tender. Led by Italy’s Webuild, it includes Spanish group Sacyr and Japan’s IHI.
The Court raised doubts about the overall costs of the bridge and said the government did not include a mandatory technical assessment from a consulting body.
Judges also questioned whether the project complied with EU competition rules, referring to sharp cost increases from the original 3.8 billion-euro tender awarded in 2005 to Webuild, known at the time as Salini Impregilo.
($1 = 0.8575 euros)
(Reporting by Angelo AmanteEditing by Keith Weir)
