Paul Portelli, Victoria
Time to consider a Gozo-Malta bridge
Edwin Calleja (The Sunday Times, November 21) may have been shocked and even disturbed by the idea of a bridge linking Gozo with Malta, but has he ever lived in Gozo? And I do not mean for a week’s holiday, but all year round.
Had he written this letter many years ago, I would probably have agreed with him, but definitely not now, for various reasons.
Mr Calleja wants to help preserve our magnificent island and even more, our future generations. But what does he mean by future generations? Are they today’s Gozitan children growing up or the Maltese who want to continue having an idyllic and peaceful holiday destination?
It seems that Mr Calleja enjoys the ferry crossing. But has he ever had to do it every single day, rain or shine, to get to work? Or in force 7 or 8 winds trying desperately to get to his workplace in time? Has Mr Calleja ever had to see his children, aged only 18, having to leave home every Sunday night and return on Friday because they have to be in Malta to receive their higher education and cannot afford to cross over every day? And this is not just for a week but for four to five years if not more.
I think Mr Calleja needs to understand what we Gozitans go through every single day. If nothing is done, and soon, Gozo will be losing its young people because the island lacks job opportunities. After completing their higher education, very few young Gozitans are returning home and we cannot blame them.
Gozo does not have a bright future at all and at this rate, in the very near future, its population is bound to decline considerably.
The only thing Gozo would be ideal for then is a peaceful holiday or as a lovely place for a large old people’s home as the average age of people living here will definitely go up.
Bridges have been built all around the world and identities have been kept; this can be done in Gozo too.
Mr Calleja wants to dump the idea of a bridge but before dumping anything, I suggest one has to see what we Gozitans really need... Maybe it is about time that everyone concerned starts looking into this matter seriously.
Popular Stories
In Discussion
46 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
M. Grech
Nov 30th 2010, 19:06
On tunnels, a technology that is widely used abroad is to construct a double hulled steel tunnel, say at a shipyard, tow it in position and sunk in place and then filled with concrete. Five or six 300m section would link Malta to Comino and Comino to Gozo would require less. And in our case building docks are only a short 12 miles away in Valletta. As Mr Borg says such a link would most proabaly qualify for co-funding by the EU.
Carmel Camilleri
Nov 30th 2010, 18:54
@Mr Borg Do you consider the construction of a tunnel? The construction of a tunnel between malta and Gozo can be funded by issueing shares and bonds, by financial aid from E.U. and by involving nations such as China and Japan which already had a try at this project several years ago.
Steve Zammit
Nov 30th 2010, 18:33
....dream on....
m borg
Nov 30th 2010, 17:35
They say that it is time to consider building a bridge to Gozo. OK. Let’s consider it. The cost will be extraordinary. Let’s give a conservative figure of say 800 million euros. That works out to 2000 euros per person. A family of four would have to pay additional taxes of 8,000 euros. Thank you very much but I would much rather be without a bridge to Gozo. One can also mention the immense environmental damage it would case. Any diving activity at Cirkewwa and nearby locations would be eradicated for decades. The scenic aspect of the Comino channel would become a mere memory. Yes, as a Maltese citizen and a taxpayer I have considered a bridge to Gozo and my reaction to the idea is DEFINITELY NO!
paul portelli
Dec 12th 2010, 10:58
IT SEEMS THA YOU KNOW THE COSTINGS.IF ONE TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION EVERY PROJECT THAT IS DONE AND TAKE YOUR ADVICE YOUR ANS WOULD ALLWAYS BE DEFINETLY NO
Joseph Bonello
Nov 29th 2010, 10:30
continued...........
Its like human body which has a problem in a one limb or organ. No matter how you look at it, in the long run the body as a whole suffers and in the extreme it might kill it eventually.
So for those who are against an efficient link between the islands, consider that you are just opposing a link between B'Bugia and Valletta, or Mellieha to Rabat. Would you prefer a third class road for such links or the best there can be? Why is the link between Mgarr and Cirkewwa any different? Has Mdina became Paceville and Paceville Mdina because there is an efficient link?
Joseph Bonello
Nov 29th 2010, 10:30
The idea that a bridge will benefit gozitans only is simply mistaken. Statistics show that year after the percentage of university graduates from the island of Gozo is getting higher and higher in relation to the population. In the meantime finding work in Gozo is getting more difficult and nearly impossible. So many young gozitans are moving to Malta and finding work there.
But maybe the most convincing reason for an efficient link between Malta and Gozo, are not the daily commuters or any other practical reason.
In this age of continuous development in communication systems and globalisation the more a nation is efficient to adapt to change and identify the opportunities, the more it will survive and improve the way of life of its citizens. Now for a nation to be efficient, there is no question that it has to be on top in infrastructure and communication even within itself, ie between its various institutions, villages and towns, businesses, places of interest, and ports and airports etc. So by keeping Gozo in isolation like it is now, Malta is not at its best.
continued..............
John Azzopardi
Nov 29th 2010, 03:50
Only in dreams a bridge will be built. The cost to build a bridge is not financially possible, so stop dreaming all of you people out there. And what good would a bridge be if we can get around by a ferry. It's only 20 minute ride after all. Many people today need to do business in London, Rome, Brussels, but they travel by air right. It's is possible to drive, but it's not efficient. Same way with the Gozo - Malta bridge.. However, we can aim for an airlink, which is much more feasib le. .
Christian Sciberras
Nov 29th 2010, 15:13
But they got the money to reface Valletta? May I remind you the budget of 8 million euros?
Any excuse to dirty the arguments, eh?
M. Grech
Nov 29th 2010, 17:48
Mr Azzoppardi, you do not appear to be a regular commuter but rather a lookin' peeper visiter. Your 20 minute ride is more like an hour and much more on busy days or for queuing and such time loss as well as additional time if a ferry is missed. A lot of man-hours go to waste for such simple reason. A fixed link would cut that in half. On average someone living in Gozo requires a good 3.5 hours commuting every day to go to say Valletta and back. Besides a fixed link would make for a more integral society and those living in Gozo can even attend social and cultural evens with more ease and less time wasting.
anthony pace gouder
Nov 28th 2010, 22:04
With all due respect to our Gozitan brothers and sisters , building a bridge to connect 67square kilometers and a population of 30,000, would be sheer extravaganza. When taking the total land area of the islands this would be certainly out of proportion, and pure FANTASY
On the other hand, Sicily's proposed Bridge at Messina,as an example , joining such an EXTENSIVE island ,the largest in the Mediterranean Sea at 25,460 sq.km.,and a population of 5,650,000 to Italy and the European Continent makes sense .
In my opinion a Cable Car Connection would be more advantageous as a fast and reliable crossing for commuting passengers , whilst the impact on the environment, in comparison to a bridge is virtually inconspicuous. Certainly, a cable connection would cost a small fraction of the cost to build a bridge! vide> http://www.panoramio.com/photo/6334594
Even a most important factor i.e, the ' INSULAR CHARACTERISTIC' of the 3 islands is undisputably retained while leaving the option for the ferries to operate as well .
Peter Korsten
Nov 30th 2010, 07:54
Have you ever been to the Île d'Oléron or the Île de Ré, on the French Atlantic coast? The islands are 174 and 85 square kilometres (which is not really relevant), with 19,000 and 15,000 inhabitants (which is a lot more relevant), respectively. Each of these islands has a pretty serious bridge coming from mainland France. The bridges are the third and second-longest in France. If the French can build two bridges of 2.8 and 3 km for 34,000 people, the Maltese may well consider building two bridges of 1.8 and 1.2 km (via Cirkewwa, Comino and Qala) for 30,000 people. However, the next problem is the connecting infrastructure, which is still largely absent. The biggest gripe for me of travelling to Gozo is the bit between Mosta and Cirkewwa. Without that infrastructure in place, building a bridge is useless.
Alfred Cassar
Nov 28th 2010, 22:04
Let's assume that we opt for a bridge which will cost, say, €300m at least. Then the Govt or the company building it will make us pay €25/€30 to cross over. Would you be happy paying that amount or more on a daily basis, or would you pretend to cross for free then?
Joseph Bonello
Nov 29th 2010, 11:06
No I would not expect to cross for free. What I expected, but to no avail was for politicians not to be so shortsighted. So adding up the cost of the new Mgarr terminal, new Cirkewwa terminal, 3 new ferries would have already got close to your estimated mark for the cost. And do not forget that the ferries will definately need to be replaced again. Add up to this part financing from EU for region states etc and your cost would not be as far fetched as you might think.
Another thing you might want to consider is that a bridge or a link will make it more easy for gozitans to remain in Gozo. What is happenning today is that Gozo is producing the highest percentage of university graduates who are moving to Malta to work. Improving Gozo, means improving the situation of the whole of Malta. Let us look beyond our noses.
Martin Galea De Giovanni
Nov 28th 2010, 21:04
Leaving aside for a moment the voluminous environmental issues related to this project; do the people who propose such projects realise that tolls are paid by users on similar bridges and tunnels in far richer countries ? Seems like many just want a "free ride" .... well as all things in life, nothing comes for free and in this case its: tolls to cross the bridge, tax money to construct the bridge, and even more taxes for the constant maintenance required by a bridge that is exposed to the worse of elements - oh and in very windy conditions the bridge will be closed for safety reasons.
Ganni Ellul
Nov 28th 2010, 20:20
Whilst I am against the building of a tunnel to link the islands,( remember the leak in the Santa Venera bypass tunnel?) I am not against the bridge, and to be honest I would have been happier seeing the money being spent on the Valletta Project spent on a bridge between the islands, for those who say that the employment of the people on the ferries would be endangered I would say they can work as maintanance people on the bridge, and for those who say that it would ruin Gozo I reply that all you need is a toll systme which would be free for Gozitans, reduced rate for frequent travelers and a higher one for people like me who cross over once or twice a year.
Peter Korsten
Nov 30th 2010, 18:52
Whilst the idea is noble in itself - having the Gozitans cross for free - it would also mean that this bridge would never be paid off by toll charges. Let them pay a reduced rate (or better, let them buy a subscription at a reduced rate) at least.
Franco J Scicluna
Nov 28th 2010, 19:36
ONE FINE DAY MALTA AND GOZO WILL BE CONNECTED AM SURE OF THAT. THIS WILL ONLY HAPPEN WHEN MY GREAT GREAT GRAND CHILDREN WILL BE USEING A WALKING STICK
J galea
Nov 28th 2010, 19:03
I'm Maltese an I've been with a Gozitan boyfriend for more than a year an half and I never wanted to go to leave in Gozo since the only means of transport is the ferry and unfourtuntly I suffer from seasickness and can't leave there since I have to come for work daily. But he said that he can't live in Malta because we have a more busy life and we work harder. So for me if they want to have the bridge they have to start paying there taxes since it's not fair that I pay my taxes and they just relax. Regarding the students and Sick persons I feel sorry for those who are open-minded but for the others, I'm sorry they just deserve what they get. Who doesn't want changes of to pay for the changes he just deserves what he get. Sometimes you have to work maybe harder to get more opportunties of work and not just relax.
Bridge or not I will still live in Malta.
Josef Portelli
Nov 28th 2010, 21:24
Dear J Galea
Enjoy living in Malta and whilst you are there consider attending an English language course.
James A. Tyrrell
Nov 28th 2010, 16:47
@Carmel Camilleri. You say, 'Those against are the environmentalists who are always in the forefront opposing all progress in Gozo.' I fail to see why you should make this statement. The only thing environmentalists have ever objected to in Gozo or indeed in Malta are building irregularities such as development ODZ. They have certainly never stood in the way of progress unless you are looking at it from the point of view of a developer.
Speaking for myself I actually like the idea of a bridge or tunnel. It doesn't have to be an eyesore as someone said and high winds would only be a problem if the design hadn't taken this into account. The main problem would be funding the thing and to that end approaches would have to be made initially to the EU for funding. Yearly maintenance would easily be covered by the tolls and it would be an excellent opportunity to introduce tidal turbines during the construction stage to provide a sustainable for of power for the islands.
It would certainly make a difference to the lives of Gozitans who have to commute daily to Malta as well as providing jobs.
M. Zammit
Nov 28th 2010, 16:40
Well said Paul! We at Gozo are fast becoming an ageing population.
As to J . Brincat's contribution, I wonder from where this gentleman got the idea that the vast majority of the Gozitans are against the bridge. All he has to do is to ask the hundreds of Gozitan workers and students who do not have any option but to leave their beloved families and birthplace to further their education or to attend work. Mr. Brincat can also ask the numerous Gozitan voluntary societies, since it is becoming very difficult for them to get young members to keep surviving.
A Bezzina
Nov 28th 2010, 15:05
With €8million VAT and income tax contributions collected annually from Calypso's Isle, it will go far in financing a half billion Euro Malta-Gozo bridge. Maybe when all the potholes and polished road surfaces on Malta and Gozo have been permanently made a thing of the past, the citizens of Malta may find it within their hearts to work extra and pay more tax to improve the comfort of transit for regular Gozo / Malta commuters which account for less than 3% of the whole population of the Maltese archipelago. If that is not unequal redistribution of wealth ...
Peter Korsten
Nov 30th 2010, 18:50
That's the same argument as with the footbridge over the Mriehel By-pass. If there were a bridge and decent connecting roads, the number of commuters would increase significantly, as would the Gozitan economy.
myriam fiorentino
Nov 28th 2010, 14:51
sir have you ever considered the people of gozo having to go to malta when they are very ill to attend the mater dei hospital for there appointments having to go on the ferry in all that heat come on think of the gozotains for a change
Jim Hamilton
Nov 28th 2010, 14:01
If people seriously want a permanent island link, why not consider a tunnel?
It's not such an outlandish (pun intended) idea as some may think. A good example can be found in the Faroe Islands which has about fourteen such tunnels interconnecting their many islands....... I have no idea how this was paid for, perhaps the EU could help us out.
http://www.360cities.net/image/nordoya-subsea-tunnel-faroe-islands#-846.87,3.72,110.0
Peter Korsten
Nov 30th 2010, 18:45
"If people seriously want a permanent island link, why not consider a tunnel?" Because it's freaking expensive. EU funding or no EU funding, there's always a portion that will have to be paid by the Maltese taxpayer, and an undersea tunnel is about the most expensive option you can think of.
edward bartolo
Nov 28th 2010, 13:49
There is no need to build an 8 km bridge. One can use Comino, build a break-water-like structure from Cirkewwa to Comino with a road on it, and a small bridge joining Comino with Qala.
Needless to state, such a project has its pros and cons, that need responsible considerations.
m vella
Nov 28th 2010, 19:23
Edward,this is a very good idea and our authorities should take note of it.
Alfred Cassar
Nov 28th 2010, 21:59
Mr Bartolo, and according to you if you build it like that, you could still use it when during a storm!
Carmel Camilleri
Nov 28th 2010, 13:39
@ J Brincat
As far as I know we Gozitans are in favour of a bridge or tunnel. Those against are the environmentalists who are always in the forefront opposing all progress in Gozo.
George Gauchi
Nov 28th 2010, 11:38
@ Paul Portelli ,
I agree 100% with you Gozo is losing all the young generation,those of them who have dual citizenships are leaving to other countries because as a friend of mine put it to me " It`s like this " he told me " I work in Malta,have to leave Gozo on every Sunday evening return home on Friday night,cannot enjoy my family and friends,have to pay rent so it is better off to go and work and live in other country and also have better living and better opportunities and money ". If you go out in the streets of Gozo on the week-end and ask the youngsters that`s what they will tell you most of them that they are all thinking of leaving these Islands for better living. So yes Gozo urgently needs a bridge for everything and everyone,Students,workers,and more and more.
Carmel Camilleri
Nov 28th 2010, 11:30
Well said Mr.Portelli I am sure that we Gozitans not only want a bridge or a tunnel but we are in dire need of one or the other to help us solve our work,health,education,business,social and other daily problems.
C.Formosa
Nov 28th 2010, 11:24
What Gozitans really need depends on what the country can afford.
As an example the Great Belt suspension bridge in Denmark built in 1998 cost close to a billion Euros with logistics and material close by.
The bridge is 6km long with the longest span being 1.6km long.
To cover maintenance costs, the one million vehicles crossing monthly pay around 50Euro(for a small family car) for a return crossing.
With regards to the high winds mentioned, in such cases the bridge is dangerous and closed to traffic, so you're in fact worse off.
Maybe some civil engineer can come up with a cost effective, affordable solution but until then I believe the ferries are the best option.
C.Formosa
Nov 28th 2010, 16:25
Sorry, it actually cost 3billion€.
J Brincat
Nov 28th 2010, 11:15
As far as I know the majority of the Gozitans do not want a bridge because they say it will ruin the characteristic of Gozo and let's be honest they do not like to be 'annexed' to Malta for their own reasons!
P Sacco
Nov 28th 2010, 21:51
Dear Mr Brincat, I don't think you know much about what the majority of Gozitans would like. What characteristic of Gozo are you talking about? The neglected countryside and the majority of roads in a shabby state? But after all you wouldn't know about this part of Gozo, because the main areas from where the Maltese "tourist" drives through are quite well kept. You may be right that some flat owning Gozitans would not like this to materialise, but I'm of the opinion that after all, it's our fellow Maltese who would like Gozo to stay as it is, and don't want to "annexe" it, both to keep Gozo as a "Presepju", and for a good excuse not to bring industry, and thus jobs here in Gozo.
On a realistic note, after all the millions spent and are still being spent on the ferries and terminals, I don't suppose any government will ever consider a bridge.
Ramon Casha
Nov 28th 2010, 11:08
Are you kidding? Have you seen the size of our potholes?
Johnnie Bowdler
Nov 28th 2010, 10:07
While many understand Mr Portelli's concerns regarding the dire transportation situation between Malta and Gozo please let's forget indefinitely any more ludicrous talk about constructing a bridge beteween the two islands. Leaving aside any aesthetic archetectural considerations for a moment, the cost of constructing what would be one of the longest suspension bridges in the world could only ever be borne by a large and wealthy industrialised country which Malta is not. Malta which has a population the size of provincial cities such as Perugia or Stoke-on-Trent would never ever have the funds to even think about such a multi-billion euro project. Secondly, the ramps to the bridge from either end would not conveniently terminate at Mgarr and Cirkewwa as some of your readers may suppose. Such a mammoth construction would require at least 1500m of approach and exit which would place the ends of the bridge half way to Ghadira and Xewkija respectively.
I don't have an answer for the travelling public between Malta and Gozo except to say that out of all the fantasy ideas I've read in the media the best to date is to re-introduce the 14 seat helicopter service which Air Malta inaugurated.
S. Calleja
Nov 28th 2010, 09:42
Ecological and aesthetic issues apart, the bridge would not be economically feasible. The Mackinac Bridge in north Michigan, which is a comparable 8km in length, costed $100 million to construct, and those are 1957 dollars. The annual cost of maintenance (which has to be an ongoing process) would run into several other millions. Even with an expensive toll charge (much higher than the current ferry toll), there is simply no way there can ever be enough traffic to make it a sustainable project. And after all, it makes sense. Bridges are meant to connect two land masses together where hundreds of thousands of people need to cross on a daily basis, not to connect to small pieces of rocks together.
M. Xuereb
Nov 28th 2010, 10:09
Have you ever crossed over in force 7 or 8 winds ?? If not, beleive me, you do not know what you are talking about.
emanuel bajada
Nov 28th 2010, 12:33
for your information - the comparable distance would be 500 meters Gozo-Comino and 1800 meters Comino-Malta, a far cry of your 8km of the Mackinac. For a more contemporay and comparable cost, the Millau Viaduct in France is a good example if you want to be objective. Opened in 2006 it cost under 400million Euros and was built in under 1000 calendar days. This is highest bridge of Europe, true it is over the sea but its engineering feat could easily be repeated eventually to build the Malta-Cominot tract with the Gozo-Comino being a simple suspended bridge. For more comparable costs if you like, the present ferries(almost half way through their operation life by now) costed 44million lira, over 100 million euro for which not a single euro have been paid yet. With the terminals the capital outlay will come to 150 million. maintenance cost and fuel, I would not dare forecast. I am sure the Bridge with an expected life of a few times more than the ferry system given everything else is equal will eventually make it more economically feasible.
S. Calleja
Nov 28th 2010, 13:27
See comments by Johnni Bowdler and C. Formosa above. Good luck with the bridge!
Christian Magrin
Nov 28th 2010, 13:29
Whatever Mr. Portelli said is true and put in practise every day. You cannot comment on what is worth or not doing such a connection between these two islands if you do not cross every day. A connection have to be done of course but I may remark positively on your comments regarding how may become of a bad eyesight a bridge in the middle of a channel. Nevertheless considering social factors it will be more than worth in the long term. What I may propose differently from Mr. Portelli is that instead of a bridge an underground tunnel can be done. No one can say it cannot be done because I'll tell you to look at the underground between France and Britain which has a longer distance than ours so it is possible. Surely in economic terms it's a huge headache but in the long term it will be of a huge benefit. Whatever a bridge or underground tunnel a source of physical connection between the two islands will have to be done if we are to safeguard our Gozitan population.
C Cassar
Nov 28th 2010, 15:41
@emanuel bajada: as usual the Maltese never bother costing in maintenance. This will cost at least the same as the original cost of building the bridge every 10 years and is a continuous and very expensive process. The same with a tunnel.
Neither of these will ever happen.
a.dalli
Nov 29th 2010, 06:19
The Denmark - Norway connection is a combination of bridge and an underlying tunnel.
England - Wales and California are other examples.