Italy’s government has approved a project to build the world’s longest suspension bridge that will connect Sicily to the Italian mainland.The proposed bridge spanning the Strait of Messina will have a two-mile suspended span.

The Italian government announced Wednesday it has approved the construction of a bridge between its mainland and the island Sicily.

A long-delayed and debated span linking the Italian mainland with Sicily cleared a major hurdle Wednesday, allowing work to begin on what would be the world's longest suspension bridge.