Italy's long-standing dream to build the world’s longest suspension bridge between the mainland and the island of Sicily has just moved one step closer to becoming reality. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

On August 6, the Italian government gave its final approval to build the Strait of Messina Bridge (Ponte sullo Stretto di Messina) between Sicily to the southern region of Calabria on the tip of Italy's boot.

Costing an estimated €13.5 billion ($15.8 billion), the bridge is planned to stretch 3,300 meters (10,827 feet) across the strait, supported by two 399-meter (1,309-foot) tall towers.

Suspension bridges like this use cables hung from these towers to carry the weight of the roadway. The load is transferred from

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