About
Messina's dead electric pylons can be climbed.
For the improvement of electric power supply of Sicily, an enormous overhead power-line crossing was built in 1955. Until 1971 the line consisted of a single three-phase 150 kV-AC system with 4 conductors, whereby the 4th conductor served as reserve. In 1971 2 further conductors for a second three phase AC-system were installed, and the voltage was increased to 220 kV, which allowed a total transmission capacity of 300 MW. The pylons of this line, whose stability was tested by firing small rockets on the top, were the tallest electricity pylons in the world until the mid-70s.