Crossing the straits. Advances in bridge engineering taken place in the last decade especially in the areas of design, aeroelastic studies and construction procedures, now allow us to achieve projects which were unimaginable before; for example, the connections in the Japanese archipelago, the connections between different Danish islands, and the connections between Denmark and Sweden are redefining the countries and geography of the continents. Bridges with nearly 2000 meter span have already been constructed and others under project. In this optimistic atmosphere, the bridge connection between the Italian Peninsula and Sicily, where a bridge of over 3 kilo meter span is required, is more realistic now.