Sicilian motorway concession at risk following Ministry warnings

The future of the Consorzio per le Autostrade Siciliane (CAS) is under scrutiny following concerns raised by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. The Ministry has highlighted various critical deficiencies and failures in the management of the Sicilian road network, suggesting the possibility of revoking the concession if adequate responses are not provided.

Regional deputy Pippo Lombardo has called for an urgent hearing of the IV Commission of the Sicilian Regional Assembly to be held directly at the CAS headquarters in Messina. Lombardo emphasized that this is a formal ministerial issue rather than a political alarm, questioning whether the regional government intends to support the necessary infrastructure improvements.

In response to the Ministry, CAS has outlined planned interventions but estimated that approximately 5.5 billion euros are required to upgrade the network, including viaducts, tunnels, and barriers. Discussions are ongoing regarding a revision of the economic-financial plan and a recovery plan that may involve the use of regional resources.