MILAN, April 9, 2021 – Invest in new infrastructure, repair and maintain what already exists even if it has surpassed its life expectancy, and increase user safety while at the same time reduce future costs. These are the priorities for Italy according to Pietro Salini, Chief Executive of Webuild, during an interview on the Stasera Italia news programme broadcast on the Rete 4 television channel about the challenge faced by the Draghi government in planning the country’s future course.

It is a challenge that starts with job creation, which could be made possible by starting the infrastructure projects that have already been approved, such as the bridge over the Strait of Messina. “The construction of the bridge over the Strait of Messina was commissioned to our Group many years ago, after 30 years of every kind of analysis and deliberation. It was an international public tender that we won,” explains Salini. “Then, it was decided not to start work on it. But to invest in high-speed rail all the way to Palermo does not make any sense without the bridge. Even today, the project is ready to go, and we are capable of doing it right away. It could be an extraordinary opportunity to create 100,000 jobs in an area that suffers from a dramatic situation of unemployment.”

It is a project that could be placed on the list of public works to be financed by the Recovery Plan. “The bridge costs only €2.9 billion. It rises to €7.1 billion with additional costs when considering the entire project, such as all the work related to the surrounding area, the centre of Messina, the hydrological work on the surrounding mountains, the access ramps, the structure to allow for the crossing of trains and cars. So we are talking about a project that could be done in a series of stages, using resources from the Recovery Plan as much as possible,” he said.

The public works to be done would follow the example set by the construction of the Genova San Giorgio Bridge, which was built by the Group. “The secret of the record set by the bridge was that everybody believed in it. Everybody rowed in the same direction: the public administration, businesses with a high level of expertise, residents... This made the construction possible in record time. The public administration overcame every obstacle with determination when it came to making the necessary decisions, abiding by European rules.” It was a project that also acted as a reminder of the need for the constant repair and maintenance of the infrastructure sector. “Public works have a life expectancy, so they need maintenance for the safety of users and to keep costs under control. These costs will rise if we continue to postpone this type of work.

What is needed is the creation of a team to maintain public works across the country under the coordination of a general contractor. We are making ourselves available to the country with our ability to involve the entire supply chain with which we are already working: 7,000 small- and medium-sized businesses.”

The Group’s presence in Italy has consolidated thanks to the Progetto Italia industrial operation that led to the acquisition of Astaldi. But it still remains international. Among the projects ready to start is the high-speed railway between Houston and Dallas, Texas. “We will bring with us to the United States the experience that we gained in Italy with the construction of high-speed railways. We will bring with us the excellence of businesses from our country,” says Salini.

Watch the video interview