• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.339-347
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• 2023

Both the first author and the company of the second author were involved, directly or indirectly, in the design stage of a permanent link between the bottom of the Italian peninsula and the nearby Sicily island. This ambitious project was left in stand-by from 2013 to 2023. The current political revival originates some thoughts on the updated desired performance of suspension bridges, without any immediate reference to that specific crossing. It is simply regarded as a starting point. After an update on recent worldwide realizations, the authors focus their attention on four basic aspects: the span length, the girder scheme, the foundation technology and the bridge runability. Eventually, structural control and monitoring aspects are discussed as potentially innovative options in designing suspension bridges with railway crossing.