There is a level of inconvenience surrounding any major construction site, mainly due to the generation of noise, dust and increased traffic. However, when the construction sites happen to be the Mgarr and Cirkewwa ferry terminals, the inconveniences inherent to all construction sites have to be well managed to minimise any negative impact not only directly on the immediate locality but on the smooth running of our inter-island transport system.

This is precisely what we did.

Prior to the commencement of works on the Mgarr Terminal/Underground Car Park on 4 July 2005, due to the small size of the port and the need to maintain operations at all times, we decided that works on site will be divided into two phases. Whilst works on phase A are being carried out, the ferry operator will continue to operate from phase B area. Upon completion and handing over of phase A area, the activities in these two areas would be switched over with the ferry operations running from phase A area and construction works being done in phase B area.

Due to the confined spaces available at Mgarr, the ticketing facilities have been moved from Mgarr to Cirkewwa. This means that although in peak times car queue can be quite long in Mgarr, when the ferry starts boarding there will be a constant flow of traffic onto the vessels without the need for stopping.

Some restaurant owners in Gozo have complained that 20 parking spaces near the cafeteria are now taken up by the new Gozo Channel ticketing booth, but now 70 extra parking spaces have been created for the convenience of those who would like to leave their car while crossing over to Gozo.

Coming back to the works in hand, phase A consists of the underground car park, the marshalling area, the gangway on berth no.1, the access ramp linking the Ghajnsielem Road to the marshalling area, connection of the marshalling area to ramp no.1, a sub-station and the associated road works. To date, circa 75 per cent of the car park/marshalling area has been completed. It is estimated that phase A will be completed and handed over to the ferry operator by end-March 2006.

Phase B consists of the construction of the terminal building at Mgarr, the gangway on berth no.2 and the associated road works. This phase can only be started when phase A would have been handed over to the ferry operator and operations put in place in April 2006.

The works completed so far have involved the reclamation of over 11,000 square metres of land, the construction of a new berth, the extension of the existing berth at Cirkewwa and the construction of a semi-underground car park in Mgarr.

The two berths at Cirkewwa have both been fully functional for a long time and when the need arose Gozo Channel used both quays concurrently, thus making it possible for two ships to load or unload at the same time. This has greatly reduced waiting time for passengers in peak times when Gozo Channel makes use of more than one ship at once.

Moreover, the new extended all-weather breakwater has already proved invaluable to the entire Gozo community, especially in the winter months.

While some of the benefits of this project are already evident, I am sure that in 2007, when the entire project is completed, everyone will realise that this initiative will give a new dimension and breathe a whole new lease of life to the island of Gozo.

Censu Galea is Competitiveness and

Communications Minister