Preparatory work at the site where the National Motorsport Centre in Ħal Far will be developed is progressing, with further excavation to complete the necessary surveys related to the entire project. These surveys have now been completed, the government said in a statement.
The latest excavation cleaning focused on the area where the new motorsport circuit will be built. The Excavation and Maintenance Division began this work in November of last year, and by April 4, approximately 24,875 tonnes of construction waste was removed through 995 trips, each carrying 25 tonnes of waste.
"We are now seeing more work progressing together with more entities, thereby reaffirming the Government's commitment to this project. The land on which the project will be carried out has now been consolidated and is in the hands of SportMalta, which will transfer this land to the Malta Motorsport Federation for the completion of the Complex, which will be the best of its kind in the Mediterranean," Minister for Education Clifton Grima said.
The Motorsport Complex project in Ħal Far will ensure the strengthening of the existing Drag Racing and Karting Track facilities, while also constructing a circuit alongside these facilities. This project will not take any land outside development zones but will be built on land already being used for similar activities.
Parliamentary Secretary for Public Infrastructure Glenn Bedingfield said that "this is a project initiated by this government and will be completed by this government. This will be a high-level project and will serve as a place where sports enthusiasts can practice this sport."
The parliamentary secretary explained that the Excavation and Maintenance Division is undertaking additional work besides public infrastructure maintenance on arterial roads and distributors. They are investing in machinery to be in a position to participate in major projects like that of the National Motorsport Centre.
The first phase of the National Motorsport Centre project will focus on the Drag Racing track with several modifications to the facilities and the track itself. This will see infrastructural improvements to the existing Drag Racing track, leading to its certification by the International Automobile Federation (FIA), thereby officially entering it into the FIA calendar. Therefore, with this work, it will be possible for the track to host international Drag Racing events.
President of the Malta Motorsport Federation Duncan Micallef said that "as a federation, we are responsible for every motorsport enthusiast here in Malta, and everyone knows that we have been working on this project in Ħal Far for the past few years. Today, we see progress in the excavation phase, which is part of the project, where the track will be constructed. This means that the government is fully supporting this project, and we are working hand in hand. This excavation is not the first step, as a lot of work has already been done, and it will continue to progress in the coming times."