THE MINISTER OF INFRASTRUCTURES MATTEO SALVINI, UNFOUNDED SEISMIC RISK FOR THE BRIDGE OVER THE STRAIT OF MESSINA. MARIO TOZZI, LEAD CNR RESEARCHER, STRAIT OF MESSINA, AREA OF GREATEST SEISMIC RISK IN THE MEDITERRANEAN. RENATO ZERO: THE BRIDGE RISKS OF “SUFFICATING THE WONDER AND HISTORY OF A LANDSCAPE”
«There is no political debate on the safety of an infrastructure, there are engineers, geologists, architects, university professors from all over the world: it is clear that the technicians do not put the bridge in a seismic risk area». Thus the Minister of Infrastructure, Matteo Salvinion Radio 24 and as reported byITALPRESS. According to the deputy prime minister, the alarm on seismic risk for the Bridge over the Strait of Messina is unfounded.
About this, we heard on the phone Mario TozziSenior Researcher at National Research Council – CNR (Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering). Tozzi, a well-known television science writer, responded as follows: «The area of the Strait of Messina is the area of greatest seismic risk in the Mediterranean. If he said – Salvini – that that area is not at risk, he said nonsense. If he said yes, the seismic risk there is high but we’ll put it there anyway – the bridge -, that can be done. The technicians can put it on. It is possible to build, as in Türkiye and Japan, bridges in seismic risk areas. That area is at the highest seismic risk in the Mediterranean, but if you wanted, you could build it there. That’s another matter.”
The background
Wednesday 13 November 2024, the Commission for Environmental Impact Assessment of the Ministry of the Environment – MASE approved the final design of the bridge over the Strait of Messina. Permission was granted with some conditions: in fact, slight changes were requested that the designers will have to integrate protect the ecosystem of the Strait during the works.
The analysis conducted by the Technical Commission for Environmental Impact Assessment underlined the importance of respect environmental conditions indicated, to be implemented largely in the presentation phase of the executive project.
The provisions of the commission for the bridge over the Strait concern “the natural, terrestrial, marine and agricultural environment”, and include design details for the earthworks, with focus on construction site, materials management, procurement, noise and vibration.
Only one last authorization remains to start the works, that of Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning and Sustainable Development – CIPESSexpected by December 31st.
The project involves the construction of a pontethe longest in the world with a single span, of 3,660 metres, with a suspended span of 3,300 metres. The two support towers, 399 meters high, will each be composed of two pylons joined by three large horizontal beams. The estimated cost for the construction site is around 13.5 billion eurosplus about 1miliardo for accessory works.
The criticisms and protests against the project
The convenience of the bridge has raised much controversy. Among these, theNational Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology – INGV ha the green light was denied in relation to seismic risk.
Therefore, the leader of the Greens and Left Alliance (AVS), Angelo Bonelliaccused the Minister of the Environment, Gilberto Pichetto Fratinto have accomplished a “shameful blitz” in the Evaluation Commission. According to Bonelli, the minister has appointed twelve new members, “almost all politicians” e “almost all in FdI quota”.
In a document requested last April from the Stretto di Messina company, they were missing important analyzes on the protection of biodiversity, the effects of noise pollution, vibrations, electromagnetic fields and a study on the danger of tsunamis.
Despite these shortcomings, the commission on Wednesday deemed the project sound overall. The changes to the executive project will have to be presented in the coming months, before the start of construction sites.
Sources
ANSA
ITALPRESS