The Bridge over the Strait of Messina: an opportunity only for Sicily and Calabria ? For companies only or also for professionals?

For decades now, the debate revolving around the construction of the Messina Strait Bridge has engaged every discussion on matters variously affected by the great work.

Leaving aside all sociological and political aspects, which necessarily bear the weight of ideological and sometimes prejudiced positions, we are more interested in looking more closely at the economic and legal issues that are most likely to affect the interests of economic operators and related legal issues.

There is no doubt that the start of construction sites for the work will place the Strait of Messina area, but also the entire territory of the two regions mainly involved, at the centre of the attentions of international, as well as national, economic operators and investors.

Throughout the duration of the works, hundreds of companies will be involved in the work and thousands of workers will be engaged. The economic effects and economic multiplier of the investment will create development opportunities in all economic sectors in the geographical area directly affected by the construction sites.

The flows of economic resources and people that will be involved will inevitably mean that territories will have to organise themselves to withstand the obviously positive impact.

When the work is completed, Sicily will truly be able to consider itself the southern border of continental Europe. At last, the island will be able to play that fundamental role of being the logistical platform at the centre of the Mediterranean sea, capable of intercepting the maritime traffic coming up from Suez, whose cargoes must continue on to northern Europe, and being able to sort them quickly by rail, saving at least four to five days of navigation.

The whole country can only benefit from this because the flow of goods will cross the whole of Italy and the opportunities for new investments will only increase.

But the construction of the Strait Bridge will also be a moment of confrontation that will also concern the rights of the people and companies involved.

The events relating to the expropriation of the real estate directly or indirectly affected by the construction of the project, the issues of contractualisation of economic relations, and the management of the inevitable disputes will mean that the professional categories concerned will also have to equip themselves adequately to be ready and up to the new professional challenges.

We are there.

Lawyer Giuseppe Laface