Sicilian highway infrastructure safety crisis

The Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has issued an ultimatum to the Consorzio per le Autostrade Siciliane (Cas) regarding the safety of the A18 (Messina-Catania) and A20 (Palermo-Messina) highways. To avoid a total traffic ban, the ministry requires urgent mitigation measures by October 3 to address issues such as degraded tunnel entrances, insufficient lighting, and faulty guardrails.

While immediate interventions are estimated to cost 32.5 million euros, the ministry noted that a long-term reorganization plan costing 5.5 billion euros over ten years is required to address the structural decay of the network. Regional President Renato Schifani has pledged to oversee the matter, while transport workers have warned of potential economic disruption and social unrest if the safety and financial crises are not resolved.

As the deadline approaches, inspectors from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport are scheduled to conduct a verification on October 5 to determine if the prescribed safety measures have been effectively initiated. Amid the persistent risk of highway closures, Deputy Giuseppe Lombardo of the Sud chiama Nord movement has called for a commission at the Sicilian Regional Assembly (Ars) to demand clarity on project timelines and resources. Lombardo has requested hearings with regional leadership and highway consortium officials to assess the capability of the CAS to meet safety requirements, suggesting the possible appointment of a commissioner for the CAS directorate.