Work worth over 20 million euros for the construction of the third bridge that will connect the district port of the island of Augusta with the mainland, a work that, in addition to ensuring a logistical connection of civil port facilities and military and technical-nautical services for port activities, will allow the diversion of heavy traffic on the new road and will be an important escape route in the event of an emergency. The project is the result of a synergy between the Port System Authority of the Eastern Sicilian Sea, the Municipality of Augusta and the Navy which has in the port of Augusta one of the three main naval bases where it is permanently stationed the share of the national fleet intended for offshore patrols.
The works were delivered yesterday and the investment is part of the PNRR measure M5C3-11 “Infrastructural interventions for the Special Economic Zones (SEZs)” – Interventions “connection of ‘last mile'” which included three activities: the redevelopment of the access viaduct to the Commercial Port of Augusta, already completed for an amount of over one million; the structural redevelopment of the pylons of the Federico II viaduct, in nearing completion, for a sum of almost two million; finally the construction of the third bridge which should be completed by 30 June 2026 by the winning company Fenix Consorzio Stabile di Bologna, consortium member executing Two Smart Building which has headquarters in Tremestieri Etneo (Catania).
The new work – commented the president of the Port Authority, Francesco Di Sarcina – is part of a context of great importance not only for the authority, but for the whole territory Augustan and the military area and represents a real turning point in the logistics, transport and road development and safety of the area”. “It is – he added the mayor of Augusta, Giuseppe Di Mare – of an effective and efficient solution also with regard to protection aspects effectively configuring a third escape route in the event of natural disasters or extraordinary weather events; Waited the strong limitations of the Rivellino bridge would ensure high security in the event of an exodus of the island’s citizens. In addition, the traffic diversion will have the immediate consequence of decongestion of traffic with significant benefits for everyone”.
Recalling that the facilities of the Navy Naval Base Admiral Andrea Cottini, commander of the Maritime Command of Sicily, explained that this is “currently connected to the mainland through the ancient Rivellino Quintana bridge, dating back to 800, which involves crossing the ancient Spanish Gate to access the historic center of the city, and the Federico II bridge viaduct. The Rivellino bridge – Cottini specified – is an artifact of modest size and is not suitable for supporting the vehicular traffic between the two parts of the city”, while the new work involves the construction of two decks to be separate decks reserved one exclusively for military users and the other to civilian traffic.
