Transport Malta will be commencing work on the Cirkewwa ferry terminal tomorrow, Gozo Channel said today.

It said that this phase of the work would be completed by the end of June but did not say what the work would consist of.

Gozo Channel said the Cirkewwa bus terminus is being temporarily relocated to the area near the passenger ticket booth.

Mepa issued a development permit for the building of the new terminal in December.

Last month, Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt said in Parliament that the new terminal would cost €18.6 million but its completion date depended on the award of the contract.

The Mġarr terminal which was completed in 2007 had cost €11.8 million.

The new ferry terminal project has been in the pipeline for over a decade.

Under the current plans, the present three-storey building housing a cafeteria and some offices will be demolished and eventually replaced by a modern, one-storey terminal fitted with photovoltaic cells to generate energy from the sun.

The new terminal will be a reduced version of the original plans, approved in 2007. It was then meant to be two storeys high with a small tower. But the plans were scrapped because of cost.

According to the new plans, a shelter for commuters will be built and will include bathroom facilities and a waiting area while the marshalling and parking areas will be extended.

The number of parking spaces available for the public will increase from 107 to 166, a reduction of 20 spaces from the 2007 permit. There will, however, be 32 new parking spots for divers, 21 more than the previous permit.

The new terminal will be accessible to wheelchairs and will also include a 15-metre wind turbine near the ramp to the south quay. A police station will be built and security standards will comply with European requirements. There are also plans to move the ticketing station to Gozo.