Strait of Messina Bridge (Eurolink)

• World’s largest suspension bridge
• $7.5 billion construction value
• Aconex linking project members from Italy, Denmark and Japan
• Reducing complexity and improving control

Supporting construction of world’s largest suspension bridge

Client

The project is being delivered by the Eurolink consortium which includes Italian organizations Impregilo, Società Italiana Condotte SpA, Cooperativa CMC and Consorzio Stabile A.C.I; Spain’s Sacyr SA; Japan’s Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries. Denmark’s COWI Group will follow the design.

Project

The Strait of Messina Bridge, linking eastern Sicily with the Italian mainland, will be 3.7 kilometers in length and 60 meters wide. The bridge will be supported by two 382-meter pillars on either side, and include three motorway lanes in each direction, a double-track railway and two lanes for service traffic.

Built at an estimated construction value of €6.1 billion (US$7.5 billion), the bridge will have a main span of 3.3 kilometers, almost double that of the world’s current record holder, Japan’s Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge.

Challenges

Mr. Pietro Paolo Marcheselli, Project Manager at Eurolink, said, “A key challenge for us is to link our project team, which includes companies from Italy, Denmark and Japan. As the project progresses, more and more information will be generated that we will need to manage and control. It was therefore important we have a central communication and information management platform that all authorized parties can access.” 

Solution

To effectively manage information and link its project team, Eurolink selected to use the Aconex online collaboration system. Aconex provides the entire project team with a central, common platform for managing data such as drawings, documents and correspondence. By using the system, Eurolink and other stakeholders are able to access, distribute and track their information in real time, from any location and at any time.

Mr. Marcheselli said: “Aconex clearly delivers considerable value to large-scale, complex projects such as this one. Our global team will be able to quickly and easily collaborate, and the fact that the system is independent of any project member will encourage high uptake and usage. Aconex will also train and support every project participant, helping us to get the maximum value from the system.”