In an interview with Annaliza Borg earlier this week, Parliamentary Secretary for Public Dialogue and Information CHRIS SAID talked about the ramifications of a tunnel link between Malta and Gozo, and emphasised the care that will be taken to ensure that all the necessary preliminary studies will be carried out in an orderly fashion

Malta Transport has been entrusted with ensuring that feasibility studies on the proposed tunnel between Malta and Gozo are carried out. Dr Said pointed out that the project is envisaged for the medium to long-term and a detailed study is the first step in what will be an extensive and ongoing process.

“This process will not be carried out either in a rush or in a dilatory fashion,” said Dr Said, “but will be done properly”.

The idea of a permanent link between Malta and Gozo was first discussed in the late 1960s at the behest of Gozo Civic Council – the first type of regional committee in the Maltese Islands.

Following these discussions, the Society for the Unification of the Maltese Islands (SUMI) was established, proposing a causeway, a bridge or a submerged tunnel.

The first option was described by Dr Said as an “environmental disaster” as it would actually mean building a road in the sea by land reclamation, among other processes.

Feasibility studies were even carried out in Malta in 1972, but back then only 57,000 vehicles crossed the channel each year. This figure has since multiplied by at least 18 times to over one million vehicles annually.

A submerged tunnel, or the laying of a cuboid-like structure on the seabed, would have an impact on marine life. So would a bridge, with the necessary supports that would have to be built, again on the seabed. A bridge could also involve supports being built on Comino.

However, a tunnel excavated several metres below sea level is not impossible and is a solution being adopted widely, especially in northern European countries such as Norway and the Danish Faroe Islands.

But will land speculators and hoteliers, as well as the 1,000 Gozitan students at University, be the only ones to benefit from such a development?

Wouldn’t the tunnel only save them 30 minutes in travelling time?

Pointing out that the ferry system has improved considerably since the mid-1980s, when the last ferry was at 5pm, Dr Said mentioned the time spent waiting at the terminals and the possibility that the ferry will be too full to take all the vehicles waiting. And missing the 10.30pm ferry from Malta by a minute means waiting until midnight for the next one.

The situation is obviously worse at weekends, when Gozitans have to join the holiday-makers in long queues to get to their destination.

Dr Said remarked that Gozitans studying or working in Malta will be most affected by a tunnel and pointed out that there are at least a couple of thousand who commute on a daily basis.

Even people who are going abroad or need medical treatment in Malta and those needing to use services in Malta, would be affected.

Giving an example, Dr Said mentioned a minibus that takes cancer patients from Gozo General Hospital to Boffa Hospital in Floriana for chemotherapy every day.

The ferry service is still disrupted when the weather is bad and although it only actually stopped running for a few hours last year, there were times when the journey took longer and schedules were affected.

The business and manufacturing community often complains about the double insularity that causes difficulties for investors. As well as a few major companies, there is a good number of self-employed people and SMEs who undertake daily ferry crossings to deliver their products to Malta.

Nevertheless, the tunnel may not be purely advantageous. Studies must therefore go into the disadvantages that are pointed out by people in the street, including the social, economic and environmental impacts, said Dr Said. This is why the government is committed to holding wide consultations with organisations and the public in general.

If it is proved that a tunnel would, on balance, be advantageous, it will also serve the people of Malta and any growth in Gozo’s economy will also have a positive impact on Malta’s economy and gross domestic product (GNP), being one island state.

The planned studies must primarily assess whether the proposed project is technically possible, considering the geology and marine life.

Studies into the type of rock we have and the structure of the seabed are very important, as certain rock types will make the project more difficult and more expensive. Even seismic studies are very important and must be undertaken, said Dr Said.

He is, however, confident that the project would still be possible, remarking that similar tunnels have even been constructed in earthquake-prone areas of Northern Europe.

Having established that the project is possible, its cost must be established as well as its potential effects on Gozo.

Dr Said said that the Norwegians are the most experienced in the construction of underwater tunnels. They have completed a total of 31 in the last few years, and work is currently ongoing on another two, with 15 more planned.

Their models are being exported to other countries, including the Danish Faroe Islands.

Referring to marine life, Dr Said said he proposed to commission a study on a tunnel, rather than any other form of link, because in his opinion it is the least damaging in environmental terms.

Following these considerations, and provided that plans for the project move on, the financing model must then be studied. As an infrastructural project, a tunnel can be totally financed by the government from public funds.

A public private partnership (PPP), as is the case in the public transport reform, is the method preferred by Dr Said. The service would be financed by the private sector, which may charge tolls, and the government would act as a regulator by means of Transport Malta.

It might be possible that the tunnel project may also be eligible for EU funding under the Ten-T policy structural funds for which up to 85 per cent of costs may be met. The study itself may be part-financed by the EU from a special fund over and above the €850 million allocation for Malta.

While all models must be thoroughly assessed, Dr Said noted that a number of Gozitan entrepreneurs have expressed the wish to finance it.

If the PPP model were eventually chosen, it would be subject to the usual tender process. Even the study itself would probably take place after a tender process has been completed.

“The project will definitely not start tomorrow and would take place in a number of phases, following feasibility studies,” said Dr Said.

It is part of the government’s planning for the future and may take place in conjunction with other infrastructural projects, he said, when asked if the country can afford another major infrastructural project in conjunction with the gas pipeline, the City Gate project, the Malta-Sicily interconnector and the power station extension – all of which are costing millions of euros.

It is also, he said, linked to the lifespan of the Gozo Channel ferries. The first of the ‘new’ ships to begin operating, the Ta’ Pinu, has a 15-year life, therefore the possible replacement of the ferries must be part of any plan.

Referring to the government’s commitment to Gozo, Dr Said pointed out that 10 per cent of Malta’s allocation from EU funds was voted specifically for Gozo. Government also voted €25 million for the Eco-Gozo project.

Emphasising the importance of a link between Malta and Gozo, Dr Said said that every Gozitan family now has members studying or working in Malta and a good number of people have relocated, at least temporarily.

In addition, people who decided to invest in Gozo will benefit from the link, generating increased profits, so a positive trend in employment should result.

This had been the case with small islands which had been linked with main lands. All of them had developed well, both economically and socially, according to Dr Said.

“Gozo will not lose its unique character, if planning decisions are taken carefully,” he said, when asked about people’s concerns.

An estimate of the final cost of such a project can only be given after studies have been concluded, Dr Said noted. Figures of between €120 million and €150 million have been mentioned in recent weeks.