With important appointments coming up such as the Extraordinary Church Holy Year (2015-16) and the possibility of hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics, Rome is awakening from a long lethargy and announces plans to complete long-overdue projects. These include the futuristic Nuvola (Cloud) conference centre by architect  Massimilian Fuksas, the Aquarium and the Ponte dei Congressi (Conference Bridge), all in the modern EUR district.

The much-needed Conference Bridge will cross the Tiber between the Magliano district and EUR and provide a new entrance to the city from Fiumicino airport. The project was approved in 2001 but has suffered endless setbacks and delays. The present plan has undergone some downsizing from the original project but it has been slimmed down by the same architectural studio Transit that won the original tender. The 900m-long bridge will take one-way traffic and have both cyclist and walkers' tracks, while a river bank park is to be created underneath.

The Nuvola should finally be finished in 2016, thanks to funding obtained by selling some key historic buildings in the EUR district.  The revolutionar new congress centre has been languishing in various phases of stop-and-go since building began in 2002.

Rome's new Mediterranean Acquarium, which is situated under the lake in the EUR park, has also suffered infinite delays but announces that it should finally open in September 2015. We're keeping our fingers crossed!

Info:  www.comune.roma.it