Gozo tunnel cost put at about €150m

simon cutajar

Feb 2nd 2011, 22:06

......................................u iva mela ghanda flus xi inberbqu ! eh billhaqq ! l-elezjoni dalwaqt ux ?

C Falzon

Feb 2nd 2011, 19:53

I am curious to know where the 150 million figure came from. You don't construct much tunnel under water for that amount, unless it is a narrow pedestrian one or the sort used for pipes and electrical cables.
If the tunnel is meant for cars to drive through it would need at the very least one wide tunnel with three lanes and one parallel service/emergency tunnel. And that is just the absolute minimum - it would not even be a half decent road tunnel. The service tunnel alone would cost more than the figure quoted.

Manuel Cassar

Feb 2nd 2011, 19:33

It seems that this subject has causes quite a stir and one can fully understand this. Whilst I do understand the feeling and frustration of many Gozitans, I feel that a tunnel or any other permanent connection would ensure Gozo's doom. Gozo would just become part of Malta's concrete jungle and the idea of a holiday in gozo would simpy be irrelevant.

I feel that the only way forward for gozo would be an eco-sustainable social model where development is limited on order to preserve the charm of Gozo and through which jobs and opportunities could be created in specific economic niches such as agro tourism, excellent local produce, heritage and the scenic environment. Furthermore other activities which do not have a negative impact on the environment could also be set up and in this way we would be able to preserve Gozo as it is without hindering the opportunities for fellow Gozitans to work in Gozo. Nevertheless one cannot exect Gozo to be totally self sufficient in providing all types of jobs since this is virtually impossible .

E Gatt

Feb 2nd 2011, 18:19

SWEDEN TO DENMARK TUNNEL COST PUT AT €4,200M

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-12347525


Granted, at 4.5km the distance between Malta and Gozo is ¼ the 18km length of the proposed tunnel between Sweden and Denmark . It is also true that costs may be higher up North. However ¼ of €4,200m is €1,050m. The cost of the Gozo tunnel was reported at €150m. Could it be that whoever estimated the cost forgot a ‘0’, between the ‘1’ and the ‘5’?

J Camilleri

Feb 2nd 2011, 17:22

@ I Azzopardi
"About the bridge/tunnel: I disagree with this plan. Why? It's only a way round the problem! We need jobs in Gozo. Period."

Mr. Azzopardi, I was in your same place some 30 years ago. Had to study in Malta, and the only jobs available were in Malta. Like yourself I prefered the Gozo lifestyle, and if I had to work all my life in Malta (instead of Gozo), would prefer to move abroad, which I did, for better opportunities.

Yor are right, the bridge/tunnel is not the main issue. The main issue is bringing jobs to Gozo, which in the last 30 years most probably there are less opportunities. In today's "Internet" age, it would have been not that difficult if our leaders 20 -30 years ago, set a strategy to bring IT jobs to Gozo. But our leaders are either incompetent or don't care.

Folks --- jobs to Gozo first ....bridge/tunnel later. With a bridge, still need to navigate through the traffic mess in the north of Malta.

There is not a day that I do not dream of our beloved Gozo, and despair at the lack of true leadership to help our youths.

James Cauchi

Feb 2nd 2011, 17:07

The concept of a tunnel connecting the islands should not be entirely dismissed, although very valid points have been raised against the proposal in the comments seen so far.

I am reasonably confident that we are capable of constructing such a tunnel to a decent standard - That being said I am not at all confident in our disposition to maintain such a tunnel adequately. One has only to look at our major roadways - and tunnels - to understand that our idea of adequate upkeep leaves something to be desired. It is also to be said that a ferry is relatively cheap to run and is more suitable for low-flow contexts.

This being said, it is undeniable that a well-made and maintained tunnel would go a long way towards bringing the peoples of the Islands closer together, and a lot of good could come of it both economically and socially.

I would personally suggest a series of floatable pre-fabricated interlocking chambers anchored to the seabed as a relatively fast, cheap, reversable and quake resilient alternative to permanent tunnels.

John Grech

Feb 2nd 2011, 16:36

Tunnel... jista ma jsirx, ghax la bil-vapur, la bit-tunnel u l-anqas bil-ghum ma immur ghawdex. bil-prezz ta holiday li tigik ghawdex immur x'imkien bir-ryan air. Ghal xi kummenti ta xi hadd li qal "Why do I have to be doomed to work in Malta? I hate Malta and believe I have every right to work in my home land" nghidlu isma xbin sewwa taghmel issib xoghol ghawdex, nies bhalek ma irridux hawn, gej bil-hate malta. Ma tridux bhala slogan hux ghal l-ghawdxin???? jekk dak ghamlu copyrighted. :)

K Borg

Feb 2nd 2011, 16:35

I am Maltese and fully in favour of either a bridge or a tunnel. The Gozitans fully merit this accessibility and it would be beneficial to foster the business community there. One aspect is being completely neglected in the arguments in favour or against: the price the country has already paid for the replacement of the Gozo Channel fleet, the refurbishment of the sea terminals at both ends which if saved to make space for the tunnel or bridge would have already mitigated a very good part of the proposed €150M ! And what to say about the financial haemorrage to run Gozo Channel ? And what about the political intrigue underlying Gozo Channel ? 'nuff said.

Neville Lia

Feb 2nd 2011, 15:57

If the St. Venera tunnels are leaking water and these are on land, imagine what will happen to the said tunnel if it is completely under the sea ??

Clint Caruana

Feb 2nd 2011, 12:42

Our Gozitan Members of Parliament should realize that no matter how many projects they do for Gozo, no matter how many funds, subsidies or whatever they bring, they all pale in significance compared to a permanent link between the islands. This should be their main priority and focus. A challenge re finance and especially re the mentality of some people both in Gozo and in Malta. I just hope at least our leaders are not as shortsighted as some people make them to be.

I.Azzopardi

Feb 2nd 2011, 12:26

Most of you Maltese people are nothing but SELFISH. I'm Gozitan and I had to study 4 years in Malta because I had NO CHOICE. Why do I have to be doomed to work in Malta? I hate Malta and believe I have every right to work in my home land.

About the bridge/tunnel: I disagree with this plan. Why? It's only a way round the problem! We need jobs in Gozo. Period.

m borg

Feb 2nd 2011, 11:15

@ W. Mifsud and others

Be real. It will simply not happen.

Why?

(1) The cost is far too much. Whoever estimated 150 million euros for a tunnel of that length must be living in cuckoo land. My guess is that 5 to 10 million euros will be spent in studies and consultancies even before the first piece of machinery goes on site.

(2) The number of people who will use it are too few. Even if there is a toll for usage, this will only recover a fraction of the capital cost.

If you want your country to go bankrupt, keep insisting for a tunnel or a bridge.

m vella

Feb 2nd 2011, 11:12

Anthony Gouder: Please do not compare our situation to an island such as the Isle of Wight. Their economic situation is much more prosperous than ours! And do you know how many times the Gozo Ferry is DELAYED - the service is still being offered - BUT DELAYED in bad weather. When it is forced to go behind Comino this is a delay altogether of 4-5hrs - ONE WAY. Do you know how many potential conferences etc. booked for Gozo hotels have been cancelled for such reasons? The ferry is not a reliable source. And contrary to laziness, those who commute every day and in such weather are anything but lazy!

mario camilleri

Feb 2nd 2011, 10:58

Proset Chris Kikku jirnexijlek taghmel bicca xoghol kbira li il pajjiez jibqa jiftakrek. Dan possibli li issir bit thec li aw il lum ,meta tqis li dan ix xoghol barra min malta ijlu issir snin pero fil muntanji. ghalkem listudju tal art ta taht il bahhar trid tihu hafna zmien biex ikun cert li ma hemmx periklu li jisfronda u il blat huwa bsahhtu u ma isirx caqliq sismografiku bejn iz zewg gzejjer li jista ikun hemm xi kunsenturi fit tunnel. Jien kikku kont immur ghal pont bejn malta u kemmuna u min kemmuna ghal ghawdex bhekk tkun tista taqad 3 gzejjer u tkun tista tofri il kemmuna bhalla resort u taghmel xi mini ibiza .

b.micallef

Feb 2nd 2011, 10:32

WHAT A JOKE !! AT LEAST YOU COULD HAVE WAITED FOR APRIL 1ST FOR
THIS BOMBASTIC NEWS TO COME OUT. LANQAS IL-MINI TA REGIONAL ROAD
U IT-TOROQ MHUX KAPACI NZOMMU L-MAINTENANCE TGHAHOM AHSEB U ARA.

W.Mifsud

Feb 2nd 2011, 10:14

To all selfish Maltese people,

I am a Gozitan , Why are you so selfish that you and only you want to be satisfied.

- Every morning wake up early at 5 to get an early ferry
- Spending tons of money to go with the car each morning
- Spending lots of time around 4 hours average to travel every day
- I have a lot of friends Malta and whenever I want to meet them (weekly) I have to plan my journey from a week before to calculate the time and what ferry to get , and what weather will it be as the ferry is very disgusting when its a bit windy.
- All the Maltese people think this is a fun ride from Malta to Gozo, but for us this is a wasted journey and is very annoying.
- For those saying "WE PAY TAXES" , you must also consider that us Gozitans pay TAX the same as you do and as the statistics show most of the work and improvements in the country is done in Malta and not in Gozo. We Deserve something for once!

Mario Grech

Feb 2nd 2011, 10:02

Dream? Sounds like a nightmare to me, unless you want to turn Gozo into nothing more than an extra bit of Malta. If you want Malta, go to Malta, but please don't spoil Gozo for those who love its charm just the way it is.

Douglas Adams' humorous, but rather relevant, take on bypasses surely more than applies to this tunnel, bridge or whatever too.

"Bypasses are devices which allow some people to drive from point A to point B very fast whilst other people dash from point B to point A very fast. People living at point C, being a point directly in between, are often given to wonder what's so great about point A that so many people of point B are so keen to get there, and what's so great about point B that so many people of point A are so keen to get there. They often wish that people would just once and for all work out where the hell they wanted to be."

CA Miller

Feb 2nd 2011, 04:12

Judging by how well we build roads in Malta, I think I will wait 2 hours for the ferry.

I think it's cute that Chris Said dreamt of the tunnel when he was a kid, but he should make his dreams come true with his own money not mine. With all due respect, €150,000,000 to expedite the commute of some people who choose to live in Gozo but work or study in Malta, is a bit ridiculous.

I think it's a great idea for him to secure private investment for this project. I am in favour of providing the land for the tunnel for a nominal price, but the government shouldn't spend a single cent on the constrution of the tunnel. There are far more important needs in our country.

anthony pace gouder

Feb 2nd 2011, 01:22

Jew f'dan il-pajjiz ghandna in-nies imfissdin iz-zejjed jew qed jidhol l-ghass !

Hawn minn qieghed joqrob ghax ikollhom saghtejn speci mohlija > 'daily commuters spend two hours extra each day to take the ferry'!> Dr.Chris Said

Zgur dan huwa rekompensat bi kbir, ghax titlaq minn l-aktar post imbieghed go Ghawdex f'ghoxrin minuta jew anqas zgur tasal l-Imgarr. Il-maltemp kemm jista jwaqqaf is-Servizz ? Erba ,hames darbiet ? Gieli lanqas biss Darba f-sena shieha !. Hawn nistaqsi , kif inhi li pajjizzi ferm aktar Sinjuri minnha li ghandhom GZEJJER id-daqs t'Ghawdex u anki akbar minn Malta ma thajjrux jibnu xi Pont jew Mina biex jifrankaw l-inkonvenjenza tat'Tragitt ?....u hawn mhux ma gzira jkunu qed jinghaqdu izda ma KONTINENT! Per ezempju ISLE of WIGHT , ISOLA d'ELBA ,ISCHIA ,Favignana u ghaxieren ta'Gzejjer mal-kosta Balkana u fil bahar Egeww uhud akbar minn-Malta izda popolazzjoni ferm anqas minn taghna.Dawn ghandhom massimu ta'5 mili mit-Terra Ferma kollha u ghadhom jiddependu fuqTrasport bil-bahar?

Lanqas li sibna z-Zejt,CHRIS !.

p.grima

Feb 2nd 2011, 00:14

A cable car, or arial tramway, is so much more practical and economical to run and maintain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cable_car

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_tramway

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wings_of_Tatev

Ivan Attard

Feb 1st 2011, 23:05

What must I do laugh or cry?? This bombastic proposal will lay another 50 years on the drawing board for all I care -and then another 50 years for the next proposal. 150 million Euro - from where? Do you know the extent of the national deficit? We are fed up hearing this show-talk from politicians trying to be the hero to their constituents! We who value Gozo for what it represents can rest assured that this bawdy dream will die yet another death in oblivion.
...and I am Gozitan!

A. Spiteri

Feb 1st 2011, 19:52

I wouldn' trust the tunnel with my life. You can drown on our roads let alone in a tunnel. I'd rather swim to Gozo lol

Steve Azzopardi

Feb 1st 2011, 19:48

I would rather pay that much money to re-built all the countries roads at high standards with proper drainage systems than building a tunnel across Malta and Gozo which yes i must admit will make life easier of certain of us.
apart from that.....there are also major environmental issues that one must take into consideration.

Anthony Grech

Feb 1st 2011, 19:03

Why is it that the people who live in Gozo are constantly complaining about how hard it is to live in Gozo. Nobody is forcing you to live there. If you don't like the long commute then move. Why should the tax payer subsidize your life choice? It is bad enough that Gozitains get a discount rate on the ferry, but now the idea of building a bridge to make the trip even easier is crazy. Why not spend more money where 9/10 of the people live and work.

H Agius

Feb 1st 2011, 18:42

There are certainly advantages in this ......VAT inspectors can cross without being noticed!

Those who yearn for an isolated idyllic island for weekend breaks, remember there is Sicily where restaurants and accomodation is cheaper, shopping better and more things to do!

David Scicluna

Feb 1st 2011, 17:54

My choice is to build a panoramic bridge linking Malta, Comino and Gozo. Comino will remain car free with an adequete car park adjacent to the bridge. The bridge will include a seperate walk way for pedestrians. A resonable toll, equal to ALL is introduced to whoever wants to use the bridge. This is possible, tried and tested in other countries. Gozo, like Marsaskala and anywhere else in Malta, does not belong to anyone but belongs to ALL Maltese citizens.

Louis Cassar

Feb 1st 2011, 17:12

Judging by the state of our roads and the generally bad standards of road construction and maintenance in Malta, doubt I would trust local architects with the task of building an underwater tunnel between Malta and Gozo!!

Adrian Wirth

Feb 1st 2011, 13:22

There's no political risk in any political party saying it would give a tunnel proposal consideration after all the full compliance process will carry over into the next administrations' remit not this. What's more the political win for appearing to give credence to the project now enables the five second TV sound bites to have a chance of fooling the electorate into believing all the spouted statistics about new job opportunities in Gozo and Malta and so on and so forth. There is great comfort in knowing the likelyhood of there being any irrevocable decisions on this project concept before the election is zero.

Christopher Debattista

Feb 1st 2011, 12:39

I think its a bad idea to build a tunnel. Gozo will loose its fashion and way of being. I just love taking a relaxed trip on the Gozo Channel line. I don't want these chaps to loose their jobs . I don't want to pay my taxes to an exorbitant Tunnel from Malta to Gozo, whilst millions are spent on consultations to some Renzo Piano stereotypes. Gozo will become more polluted, less tourists will go there. And I'm sure that everone who wishes to pass from Malta to Gozo will have to pay from 6-10euros to pass. I'm fed up. Let's focus on the real problems please. We get low wages. They get an enormous increase in wages instead. They are innefficient in their job but they still get an increase. What I am most fed up of is ... Talking.. I want action ! POWER TO THE PEOPLE !

SPace

Feb 1st 2011, 12:37

Such a link would increase the quality of life of Gozitans and improve the economy. Yet such a massive project can also easily bankrupt our country if it overruns. Like Greece.

I might agree with this project as long as the government forego every other project like Valletta and yacht marinas and save every saveable eurocent from elsewhere. Squeezing more tax money from us and eroding spending power is out of the question. We've had enough. Kollox f'daqqa ma jistax ikun....Valletta, power station, interconnect cable (another 150 million), Mela hsibtuna funtana tal-flus jew?. Kulhadd jivvinta l-progetti biex jintghogob u ahna nimballaw.

Miriam Webster

Feb 1st 2011, 12:24

Only in Malta.
One article talks about a high-tech tunnel linking Malta to Gozo and another shows flooded roads after a rather normal rainfall.
The tunnel is a great idea - that's not the issue here. The issues I see are:
1. When are we going to get serious about our existing infrastructure?
2. What about the impact on traffic to/from the tunnel? Our roads can barely handle the current amount of traffic. Once a tunnel is built, surely, the traffic to/from Gozo will increase. How will that be handled?
Seriously, I don't expect to see any meaningful improvements in my lifetime, but can we stop with all these pet projects and lay out a 50-year plan that is somehow woven into our constitution so that our elected officials must comply / cannot divert attention away from?

Paul Sultana

Feb 1st 2011, 12:04

As far as I know, it was Franco Mercieca article in the times of the 23rd January who kick started the idea not Chris Said nor Joseph borg show seem to be taking the credit.

G Vella

Feb 1st 2011, 11:38

This proposal is every Gozitan's dream.
Lets build this tunnel as soon as possible !!

James Musca

Feb 1st 2011, 11:14

the tunnel in sta. venera leaks... will the Gozo tunnel also leak? :))

M Camilleri

Feb 1st 2011, 10:56

VIVA MINTOFF GHAX RIED BRIDGE/TUNNEL BEJN MALTA U GHAWDEX

anthony pace gouder

Feb 1st 2011, 10:04

How GROSS ! a Project OUT OF PROPORTION (estimated cost very doubtfull) where a FOUR MILE LONG TUNNEL, excluding approach roads , will connect 3.4 miles of the TEN (Trans European Network) road in GOZO to the 20 odd miles in Malta, all the way to Marsaxlokk -Freeport !

This will be Christopher's BIG brain wave parlamentary proposal ! Very impressive .

J Brincat

Feb 1st 2011, 10:00

Dream on! You know that with the current precarious financial situation Malta is this dream will never materialise.

Also a lot of Gozitans are dead set against the 'annexing' of Malta with Gozo, for their own peculiar reasons.

Maybe when we strike oil this dream will come true. But then again even our supposingly allies are obstructing us from finding the black gold.

Lately this idea of has come back in fashion after it had been discaded in the 1970s.

M Camilleri

Feb 1st 2011, 09:03

Gozo is a place where Gozitains - who are equivalent to Maltese - want to live and work. We want to live and work in Gozo, just like Maltese live and work in Malta. The Maltese think that Gozo is some fun place where to come during the weekends However, in thinking this way you are not being sympathetic with the thousands of young Gozitains who cannot find work in Gozo and thus have ended up migrating to Malta. At the end of the day, the argument of the Maltese people who want to leave Gozo as THEIR HOLIDAY RESORT, is ending in a dead end, cause in a few years time, in Gozo there are only old people living. So the Maltese who think that they are doing a favour to the Gozitains by coming to Gozo for the weekend - I am sorry to inform you that when you arrive in Gozo for what you call “FUN”, you have arrived in an OLD PEOPLE’S HOME..There is no fun anywhere. Young Gozitans are migrating to Malta, the hotels have closed down, restaurants are closing down.. GOZO IS AN OLD PEOPLE’S HOME, AND SOON WILL BECOME CITY OF THE DEAD.

P Tonna

Feb 1st 2011, 09:01

The idea of a bridge between Malta and Gozo was already expressed way back in the sixties by maltese businessmen. The idea was discarded however and never mentioned seriously again.

Theproject is ambitious and would appear to be mammoth in most aspects, the financial and feasibility ones toping the list.

Naturally assuming that the feasibility aspect is carefully analysed and found to be acceptable, one should not discard it a prioi. It is a capital expense like any, which could well be redeemable over a reasonable period of time.

There is no better moment to think of such a project . Malta has never in its history gone through such a lucrative period where Government capital expenditure and investments are concerned. Financial aid from the EU for these types of projects have made it possible for this Government to embark on projects with significant financial magnitude erstwhile unachievable and not within our financial reach.

(PS This investment opportunity may be compared to the Gozo Channel one which is itself a profitable and feasible one . The profitability of this venture is crucial but we need not be afraid of taking bold decisions as long as the risks are acceptable)

M Camilleri

Feb 1st 2011, 08:41

I WANT TO ASK ALL THOSE MALTESE WHO ARE COMMENTING AGAINST A BRIDGE - IF THERE IS A BRIDGE BETWEEN MALTA AND GOZO, WOULD YOU USE IT?????? PLEASE ANSWER MY QUESTION!!

P. Camilleri

Feb 1st 2011, 08:03

It is easy for most of you to criticise this proposal. But you would see things from a different perspective if you had to waste between 2 and 4 hours daily to go to your workplace. Gozo needs a permanent link to the mainland and needs serious people who can put forward this idea. We should not let our children and future generations suffer from what we suffered. Being Gozitan SHOULD NOT mean moving to Malta at the age of 18 to attend university or wasting 2 to 4 hours on a daily basis. And to all those who are worrying about the money to finance this project, aren't you worried about the financing.of the Valletta project?? Wake up and realise that we cant leave Gozo in a prehistoric state so that you Maltese can come visit for a weekend break and get your well-deserved break.

Matthew Cassar

Feb 1st 2011, 00:22

i can;t believe some people's comments....Gozo is part of Malta not some other country...being realistic i think that €150 million is not enough to build a 5km long tunnel but the Bomlafjord Tunnel in norway is 7km long and cost about $224 million which is approximately €170 million...so the amount could be right....

Joseph Ellul - Sydney

Feb 1st 2011, 00:06

I would like to butt in with a few figures of my own. I hope the editor will publish these facts.
Fact: Sydney cross tunnel, 2.8 Km, cost 10 years ago 398 Eu. that is 142 Eu / Km.
Fact: Malta/Gozo tunnel: 6 Km (min length) cost 142 * 6 = 852 Eu.
Fact: Sydney rock composition: Sandstone
Fact: Malta/Gozo rock composition: Upper and lower globigerina limestone with pockets of clay and soft stone. There is also a rift between the 2 Islands that is susceptible to siesmic movements. This rift runs in a NE to SW.
Fact: Sydney cars pay an average of 2.8 Eu each way with a traffic content of 100000 each way.
Using mathematics this would evaluate at 1 Eu/ Km or 6 Eu from Malta to Gozo at a rate of 100000 cars. Assuming that only 10000 cars use the tunnel then the price for the one of travel will amount to 60 Eu or 120 Eu for a cross trip.
Note: These are year 2000 prices. Allowing for CPI and labour value variations this could increase the figures by at least another 30%.
There must be an allowance for loss of cross-sea income losses.

J J Camilleri

Jan 31st 2011, 22:30

All these stupid dreams and ideas, they know that these are impossible to achieve.

They are only inventing these absurd ideas to distract us from the real problems our civilization is facing with ridiculous taxes, expensive surcharges and much more while getting only an increment of 1.16 euroes /week and them getting a lot more than that.

If this tunnel will be built and will be a success, what will happen with the families of the Gozo Channel's employees, after they loose their jobs?

L.Xerri

Jan 31st 2011, 22:03

Those who still hold an idylc vision of Gozo,really don't know what they are talking about.
Rustic Gozo has long gone,its mystique lost forever.Gozo is more akin to the suburbs of a city,
with buildings,a lot of which empty, in every conceivable corner of the island.There is no place in Gozo
where one can stand without seeing some sort of edifice,being it on the seaside or the hill tops
Eco Gozo is dead before it started.
A bridge/tunnel is vital for Gozo,as most of its young people have no opportunities,and this is directly
connected to it insularity.The young are leaving,finding work and residence in Malta and slowly but
inoxerably it's becoming an old people's home.Gozo is dying,a permanent link being the only cure.!!
Gozo and Malta need to become one island,and this will be beneficial for all.The earlier it is done the better.

Joseph Sammut

Jan 31st 2011, 20:28

You dream, we pay! Prosit tassew. And where did you get the figures you quoted Dr. Said? No wonder this administration is in a mess - and no I am not a labourite.

M.Camilleri

Jan 31st 2011, 19:15

By far one of the most ludicrous proposals. 150 million??? i highly doubt it. Do we really have an action plan for Gozo? Are we going to subject it to the same degradation as Malta surely we(Maltese and Gozitans alike) should have one 'relatively' unspoilt area left. A bit more than that price and one could bring the Gozitans to Malta....

bajada s

Jan 31st 2011, 19:03

will it take longer than the st jiulians bridge ? will it be done half the project as the same bridge where few weeks ago there was that aluminum truck accident? what about the price will it be doubled ?

A Sciberras

Jan 31st 2011, 18:41

Mela €150 MILJUN biex nghamlu triq fil bahar mhux problema, imma flus ghal Penzjonijiet m'ghandniex!!!!!!!!!!!
U halluna u kunu rejalistici ghal darba!!!!!!!!!!

Steve Zammit

Jan 31st 2011, 18:30

I hope your dream will remain a dream...What Gozo needs is better management. A bridge or tunnel will solve nothing except bring more problems to Gozo especially environmental ones.

Is this proposal part of the Eco-Gozo campaign???

@R Muscat

Well said...Agreed 100%

G. Scicluna

Jan 31st 2011, 18:14

It's unbelievable how quick people are to shoot down this proposal! It's only those who have been faced with the fate of having to cross over to Malta, day in day out, rain or shine, for study or work, who really know what hardships this 30-minute stretch of water can cause! Let's not try to preserve Gozo at the expense of the Gozitans!

Gozitan families with young children know fully well that Gozo cannot offer any future to the next generations. Hopefully, as Dr Said has suggested, immediate studies are carried out to verify the proposal's feasability.

Francis Ellul

Jan 31st 2011, 18:10

Jien zgur ma nghaddix minnha. Kull mina li ghandha minbarra ta taht ir-runway iqattru ahseb w ara jekk ikollna wahda bil-mediterran kollu fuqha!!!

c.t. busuttil

Jan 31st 2011, 17:53

I see no harm in suggestions. However, tread carefully. Gozo is resembling Malta more and more as building development spreads. The last thing anyone wants is the traffic chaos that reigns over here.

Charmaine Marmara'

Jan 31st 2011, 17:37

how cheap is this bridge ....only costs 150m euros !!!! u ejja ma ndahhqux iktar , x qed tahsbu li huma in nies ? imbecilli ?

joan Nelson

Jan 31st 2011, 17:23

Maltese are privileged to live on an island where many foreigners would give their right arm to live here. We have a lot to be thankful for despite our shortcomings. We have the sunshine and a laid back lifestyle that other countries only dream of. Gozo is even more so. Maltese are buying houses and commuting with Gozo for a reason. Gozo is peaceful and serene and best of all not densely populated. It is one of the very few civilized places that remains so. The ferry is our way of life. Why would we change all this for the sake of a few businessmen - sounds ludicrous. Have they considered setting up shop on Malta instead of turning this into a country's major expense for the benefit of the odd few. Was it really incidental that the Prime Minister visits Joseph Borg's factory just in time when Dr. Said had his own proposal all nicely prepped? Are they playing our Prime Minister or is he also involved in this scheme. What's in it for him, I wonder? In the name of progress, we have rendered ourselves restless. Time to step back and appreciate what we have.

EDWIN DE MARCO

Jan 31st 2011, 17:10

It sounds too easy to be credible. The world-famous Euro-Tunnel actually starts about 11 miles inland, in Folkestone, Kent, although a 20 minute drive would get you right there. So if we decide on an under-the-sea-bed project, it stands to reason that we haver to start digging inland. But whereabouts do we start ? Ghadira's no good, stands to reason. Mellieha? And what about Gozo, which is smaller than Malta & could be more problematic. Ther EuroTunnel cost about 9 billion sterling but comparisons are odious & anyway our tunnel would be much smaller. I'm all for an alternative way of crossing. Somebody suggested 2 bridges. In my opinion that would turn out to be much cheaper, less claustrophobic & would still prevent sea-sickness.

George Casha

Jan 31st 2011, 16:52

Don't worry chaps this is just a dream including the estimated cost. It will ever happen under this Government believe me. I would rather see money spent on improving the traffic jams at Marsa and Kappara roundabout. But no, these are not important issues for the present Regime!. They might bring it up at the next elections though, as a gimmick of course. There was never a PN Government so self proclaimed righteous and so far away from voters as this one.

Annemiek Leerkes

Jan 31st 2011, 16:52

The Western Scheldt Tunnel in The Netherlands looks similar to the tunnel Secretary Chris Said proposed. That tunnel, which was finished in 2003, however did cost €725m.

David Saliba

Jan 31st 2011, 16:48

Dr Said...... may your dream come true, and soon, ...... as soon is not soon enough!)

Pacifico Galea

Jan 31st 2011, 16:39

Kieku ideja tajba imma nimagina li din lispiza tibqa sejra mar rih bhal ma gara f hafna progetti ohra bhal power station ila 17 il sena mibnija waslet biex timbidel imma all jbirek ghada lanqas bdiet tithallas. insemmi wkoll il flus li kienu tawna fi zmien il gwerra biex jerga jimbena it tejatu rjal dan ghadu hekk sal lum il flus fejn marru? u minjaff kemm hawn aktar bahl dawn li man nafux bijhom. U haga ohra nahseb li bdan il progett il haddiema tal Gozo Chanel nistaw insibulom post ma dawk ta ETC bhal ma sabu ruhom dawk ta dockyar u hafna postijiet ohra.

Paul Borg

Jan 31st 2011, 16:37

If the Gozitans feel protective of their Island ( after they themselves have ruined it! ) . Then they should make a campaign to stop subsidy of the GOZO channel ferries , break the communication and power link and start generating your own, demolish all apartments in ruined Xlendi bay, abolish Maltese from visiting unless they stay in 5 star hotels and revert to horse and carriage public transport. I have stopped going to Gozo for over 15 years after having being ripped off many times. I would rather go to Rome for a mere 20 euros easyjet ticket.

S.Portelli

Jan 31st 2011, 16:13

kemm ahna tad-dahk!!!! Sur Chris mur ahdem u ara il- bzonnijiet kbar li ghadna bzonn u it-toroq tal-misthija li ghadna!!! Issa verament nista nghid kemm thobb lil Ghawdex pajjizek!!! F hiex qed nahlu iz-zmien!!!! Tal-misthija. Donnok m 'ghandekx xi taghmel!!!

Marco Cremona

Jan 31st 2011, 16:11

Let's have somebody do some preliminary cost-benefit calculations first and reflect on the results.

However, it is a fact that a tunnel with competitive tariffs (and therefore subsidised) will kill off Gozo Channel, which employs a number of people and who made massive investments in new ships in the not so distant past.

The most likely outcome will be that the tunnel will rob Gozo Channel off some of its market share, just enough to make both projects unsustainable and become white elephants. This country can only sustain ONE mode of transportation between the two islands because we don't have the economies of scale (if we had economies of scale we should have gone for a metro system for Malta).

We should have considered a tunnel (if it is indeed financially/economically viable) before we invested in new ships, not now.

This idea sounds very much like Gonzi's land-reclamation idea (also supported by the PL) which was also found to be unfeasible.

In summary, I think that this idea is unworkable and there are more important issues we should be studying putting our money into.

Andrew Cutajar

Jan 31st 2011, 16:01

Are there not enough problems to deal with? Why solve a problem we already have a solution to???

No way this thing will cost 150Mn ... laying an electrical cable between malta and sicily is nearing 200Mn!! While much longer, the cable is infinitely less technically complex.

Mr Said should lay off the heavy stuff and start thinking about prctical solutions to the problems we have not yet solved.

victor rodenas

Jan 31st 2011, 15:56

Last year water started to seep in one of the tunnels leading to Marsa.After a lot of investigations they said that they did not locate the place from where the water was entering ,so concave covers were made to stream the water away from the road.Now with 8kms of water on top of the proposed Malta-Gozo tunnel ,does anybody think that they will find the source of any entry of water in the tunnel ?

Alex Buds

Jan 31st 2011, 15:55

It would probably cost over a billion euros or more. 150 million might get you a bridge; tunnels cost 10x more.

Wilfred L Camilleri

Jan 31st 2011, 15:45

People should stop dreaming about $150 million tunnel between Malta and Gozo. It's impossible and the Chris Said should check his figures. It cost the City of Toronto $1 billion dollars to build a 3.4 km subway, and that's not digging through rock 50 meters deep and under the sea! Apart from the cost, the area of land that would be required both on Malta and Gozo for the ramps to the tunnel would consume huge amounts of land, something both islands can hardly afford. And were would the exit ramp in Gozo be if the tunnel is 50 meters under the sea? Politicians should not put false hopes in front of their citizens. If a fixed link is indeed the answer, something I don't personally believe is necessary, than a bridge is the only answer.

Paul Gauci

Jan 31st 2011, 15:38

A tunnel linking the two islands is a very good idea. However I have to point out something? Why didn't the authorities think about this project before spending millions of euros on 3 new ships and 2 harbours?

In my opinion we should have invested in a tunnel 12 years ago before making huge investments in Gozo Channel.

Ray Mangion

Jan 31st 2011, 15:33

Everyone has dreams, but most of them are just dreams!! Great effort Minister Said but you are indeed dreaming if you think that this project will only cost 150 million euro; quadruple that and it will be a more realistic figure. Apart from that has anyone thought of the behaviour or rather lack of respect and law breaking drivers? It is a dream yes and it should stay a dream. Gozo is a unique and beautiful island which is very slowly being ruined by taking picturesque landscapes away. The introduction of bridges/tunnels will be the end of Gozo as we know it. Tourists choose Gozo for its beauty and peaceful atmosphere. Take a good look at Jersey and Guernsey in the UK. They only have ferries and an old coffin shaped air transport to get you there. They are still unspoilt and hundreds of thousands of tourists keeps them ticking. Think again before another part of our Islands get ruined for the sake of self promotion.

Melvyn Mifsud LLD

Jan 31st 2011, 15:32

Reality and political realtiy, exigencies and financila contsttraints might not always be consonant with dreams.

The Piano project and Parliament may be ill timed - some have argued.

At the moment, despite all good intentions, the Government may need to hold it's horses.

Can we afford it now.

Or will it boost our economy, in the long run. If so the argument will take on a differnt perspective.

Robert Calafato

Jan 31st 2011, 15:29

The relatively short Santa Venera tunnels built over 20 years ago are situated above sea level, cost twice as much as originally projected, and leak water from above and are prone to flooding during heavy rains.

Would any of you risk using a Malta/Gozo tunnel ?

j gatt

Jan 31st 2011, 15:28

Great idea, then while they are at it, why not extend this tunnel to Rome, I heard that they make good pizza over there, it would be great to hop over for some pizza in the weekend. As to what type.

Capriccosa what else.

J. Vella

Jan 31st 2011, 15:20

Estimate or not with EU Funding which surely promote Freedom of Movement as one of its main objectives the tunnel would not cost that much. Surely less than, (the soon to be another) 3 ships and the two terminals.

Pay to use the tunnels. Sure as a Gozitan, always better than travel with the stench pigs and poultry and loosing 5 hours back and forth each and every day of my life. Time is the only thing money can't buy.

As for the urban jungle, well we do not need a bridge or tunnel to accelerate the process it is already well under way. All we would need is respect or law enforcement.

M. Grech

Jan 31st 2011, 15:13

For those who keep mentioning th cost as an argument against such a project, have they ever wondered about the cost of replacing the present fleet in 15-20 years time as well as the fuel used to operate the service?

J Fenech

Jan 31st 2011, 14:54

I doubt we'll ever have an underwater tunnel, but if we do, let's hope it isn'y build by the same company who did the leaking St Venera tunnel

m vella

Jan 31st 2011, 14:40

That you state that Gozo's weak economy is due to a lack of vision is an insult to all those self-employed who have invested so heavily in their livelihood, and some who have even taken substantial bank loans just to keep going. You need to look up the word 'double insularity' - a socio-economic term used in reference to islands like Gozo who depend on a mainland which is also an island - and see just what it means to Gozitans

Msciberras

Jan 31st 2011, 14:29

Contempt. That is the one word that sums up my feelings for: (a) those who would ruin Gozo with a bridge or tunnel, taking aways everything that makes this little island special and underpins its tourism industry. But above all (b) Chris Said, the latest Boy Wonder to hit the airwaves and his euro 150 million proposal - where are the costings of the euro 150 million project? Where is the basis for his rosy financial projections????? Given the depth of the sea in the channel between Malta and Gozo and the nature of the rocks of the sea floor, it is likely that such a project will cost BILLIONS, not euro 150MIO. In fact it isn't even possible to come up with an accurate cost projection until a detailed tecnhical feasibility study is carried out - which the 1971 study mentioned here WAS NOT. This alone will cost millions. From a technical viewpoint, a tunnel between Malta and Gozo is a project on the same scale as the Channel Tunnel (smaller....but on the same scale, with some possibly bigger challenges) - but it is a connection between two tiny islands, not the UK and mainland Europe!!!!!! Contempt!!!!!

rcurmi

Jan 31st 2011, 14:29

May I compliment Dr Said for the bold idea... as expected bold ideas attract all sorts of reactions including ones from shallow people who jumpt to conlusions so easy on such complicated matters. Being a maltese citizen, born on Gozo and living in Malta, I fully understand the issue and yet I refrain from giving my final judgment.. I cannot but be happy that this subject is being given its due attention. I cannot but agree with Dr Said's proposal to hold a scientific study. The residents of Gozo and whoever visits Gozo for any reason deserve a mature discussion on such an important topic.

d attard

Jan 31st 2011, 14:23

great proposal.... will benefit both the business community in gozo as well as gozitan university students and commuters. I am looking forward to it..

Critics usually consist of people who would like to keep gozo in a state of a crib. A place where they could come and just enjoy the old life with total disregard to the gozitan people who suffer due to their dependance on Malta.

Economically the capital invested would benefit the nation in the long run do to savings in ship replacement every couple of years and also fuel.

On top the green sensitive readers should like the idea since the tunnel would be cutting emmissions.

P. Barbara

Jan 31st 2011, 14:11

Fl-1986 il-Perit Duminku Mintoff ried li jsir bejn Malta u Ghawdex u kien diga kellu l-pjanti u l-istudju lest min naha tal Gvern Korean u kellu ukoll l-aqwa esperti lesti fuq dan il-qasam min naha tal-Gvern Korean. Imma meta gie biex iressaq dan il-progett fil-parlament qamu l-irwiefen kollha u l-ghawdxin ma rieduhx ma nafx issa wara 25 sena jekk irriduhx.

joe vella

Jan 31st 2011, 14:10

dr said, you are one of the few politicians I still admire nowadays and frankly I feel dr gonzi should have made you minister for gozo (I think he has reason to regret this!)
I believe gozo should retain its character, most of the comments are in this vein, so no need to expand but to say 150million will do the trick sorry sir that is a big joke!
considering the time and cost it took to build a 2 km road from mgarr to rabat and again a less than half kilometre road from one roundabout to another before reaching xewkija and those famous cost overruns, the time factor and cost will be much much more than you project
maybe, just maybe if you are put in charge of the project and allowed to run it your way, that is without political interventions or motivations, then could be the cost overruns would not be that extensive!

martin chetcuti

Jan 31st 2011, 14:06

I did a quick calculation and my result is that ,should the cost be that of €150 million it will work out at approximate € 23500 per meter. Wow !!!!!!!

P.Cassar

Jan 31st 2011, 14:05

PROJECTS ARE NOT BUILT ON DREAMS.......... BUT ON SERIOUS FEASIBILITY STUDIES; VERY, VERY SOUND FINANCING AND SERIOUS PLANNING.

OTHERWISE WE CONTINUE TO GET WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY ...........AMATEUR MINISTERS IN AN AMATEUR BUT WELL PAID GOVT.................WITH HARD PAYING CITIZENS.

Joseph Fortina

Jan 31st 2011, 13:50

Expensive young boy's dream Chris Said....... I think that the mess has been made now. This should have been discussed prior to building the terminals and gozo channel ships..... should this 150m project have the go ahead, what would happen from gozo channel?

You are proposing that it would be done under the sea bed. Yes great. We are not even capable of keeping water out of the St. Venera tunnels let alone under 100m+ of Sea Water....

Joe E Galea

Jan 31st 2011, 13:50

It's better to repair (using EU standards) the disastrous roads that there are in Gozo before proposing something which is very ambitious. Moreover, before the project is done we would want to know how much the toll road would be.

Gordon Cook

Jan 31st 2011, 13:45

I appreciate that the distances are very different but the channel tunnel cost In 1985 prices, the total construction cost was £4.650 billion (equivalent to £11 billion today) Wikepedia

Ivan Balzan

Jan 31st 2011, 13:38

Interesting so would the Honorable Chris Said tell me if a real feasabiltiy study has been mede on this dream? Or is he also dreaming up the cost amount and the time frame to recoup the costs? Has the Honorable Gentleman checked how many years it wouold take to implimnet such a project? Just for some help it has taken months for the Goverment , actually nearly a year to rebuild the Qui Si Sana Garden and the less than 1 KM strech of Road and this has up to now not even been finished. All i can say is keep on dreaming .

Albert Bezzina

Jan 31st 2011, 13:31

Things to ponder
1. A toll will have to be paid to transit the tunnel. Will residents of the Island of Malta taking their custom and cash to the Isle of Gozo have to pay a higher toll than what residents of Gozo have to pay?
2. How will road vehicles be vetted as in good enough running state so as to reduce the risk of fire within the tunnel?
3. How will it be assured that no dangerous material is transported in the tunnel?
4. Must the end cost of the project also include several millions of euros in commission fees paid by the selected bidder to an intermediary?
5. Can we have, for each of the 13 electoral districts, up-to-date data illustrating:
- The Income tax per capita paid by residents from each district.
- The value of social services payments and allowances per capita for each district.
- The percentage of home ownership for each district.
This exercise would be fruitful in establishing the priority of where €150 million plus could be spent. Its a matter of priorities.

But than, building a new €65 million Parliament while roads keep falling apart show how priorities are determined

Steve

Jan 31st 2011, 13:30

Its better we connect Malta with Sicilia.

Malta is very small and boring island, from north to south in 30 mins.

Wenzu Vella

Jan 31st 2011, 13:28

“The former chairman of Gozo Channel said a bridge would have a negative visual impact.” Has this gentleman ever travelled, there are so many beautiful bridges in the world, spanning famous waterways and harbours, I just mention one, The Sydney Harbour Bridge it has more than enhanced this wonder of harbours of the world. Of-course there are so many others too. No tourist would want to come to Malta to see a tunnel, but a beautiful bridge will attract untold numbers of visitors which would help to pay for the structure.

David Gauci

Jan 31st 2011, 13:26

What happened to the Wind Farm, project?Was it shelved because it is not feasible? The same will apply to the seabed tunnel.The firms and organizations, carrying out the feasibility and environmental impact assessments will benefit from such ideas.I think the Euro 150m , will be already absorbed through the costs involved to carryout ,Geographical,seabed and underwater,technical, environmental,construction,funding tests and analysis, let alone the actual construction and project implementation.

M Debono

Jan 31st 2011, 13:25

I don't know how one can justify spending all this money when one is so well served using the ferries. Are we mad even toconsider this ? Boyhood pipe dreams should remain in boyhood not foisted on the population in order to garner a few personal votes . It's better to consider a tunnel to link us to Sicily and Europe a la channel tunnel than to link us to Gozo.......a relative backwater in comparison. That's what we need to grow up as a country. Real projects that give value not boyhood wishes . we have Martin Luther King dreaming of liberty and our version Dr Said wanting to indebit the country with the construction of this White elephant

W. Cauchi

Jan 31st 2011, 13:19

Kif jajdu l-inglizi ''it's another red herring''

Meta xi problem issir tahraq wisq ghall dan il-gvern (w il-gvernijiet kollha) jivvintaw xi ''bright idea'' je xi progett gdid, bhal famuz bridge ghall breakwater, li ma jista jaddi fuqu hadd. Jinadu paroli kontra paroli.

Hawn xi hadd li lest jaghmel imhatra li fi zmien gimghatejn, ninsew minn dan it-tunnel kompletament?

Alfred Baldacchino

Jan 31st 2011, 13:18

Emerging in Gozo the tunnel would need to occupy an area bigger than the proposed airstrip.

Wilfred Camilleri

Jan 31st 2011, 13:07

Pie in the sky and totally wrong estimate of cost. It cost Toronto $1 billion to build a 3.4Km subway and that's not going 50 meters deep and under the sea! Also the amount of land required for the access ramp would gobble up large areas of land and in Gozo that's not feasible. So don't let anyone fill you with false hope.

john vella

Jan 31st 2011, 13:04

Hold it all! Just wait a darn minute! Before you continue to express ideas between a bridge/tunnel/catamaran what not, I beg to defer, Like Minister Said constituent we too stand in need of a tunnel or an inexpensive traffic light in Zebbug. Since the new express road was open, we have become entrapped in our main roads and as a rule during busy hours it take as much as the Gozo ferry to cross, for us to get out to the main road. Then again even a traffic light will do however a tunnel will look better and fine! HA!

Joseph Aquilina

Jan 31st 2011, 13:01

So an underground system for all of Malta is a bad idea, but a single tunnel between Malta and Gozo is a good idea!!! A good underground system could reduce traffic on the whole island. Putting a tunnel between Malta and Gozo will only increase traffic (and therefore polution) on both island. The problem here in Malta is that people can only see up their noses. Make a tunnel between Malta and Gozo but link this to other tunnels built in Malta and implement a complete TUBE system similar to the one in London and other cities in Europe; cities that are larger then Malta and Gozo put together. This would mean that Maltese living in Gozo would be able to travel easily to the mainland (wherever they want on the mainland) and at the same time you are reducing pollution since you are encouraging people to use the TUBE rather then their cars. The ferry will then become an option only for those who want to go down and up to Gozo with their cars (or trucks for services).

Ted Attard

Jan 31st 2011, 12:57

So is this what ECO GOZO will be about ?Making Gozo a traffic nightmare ? And where is Tourism in Gozo in all of this ? Capri is a ' 5 star island' ( been like that since Tiberius) and only residents are allowed to have cars and Cinque Terre ( 5 small villages along the Ligurian coast receive 2 and a half million tourists a year between them. ( Even the locals are not allowed to park their cars or motorinos in their village !! Dear GOZO QUO VADIS????

A Mercieca

Jan 31st 2011, 12:56

Bridge YES. Tunnel NO.

John Caruana

Jan 31st 2011, 12:53

Thanks Dr Said. Keep it up whatever others say. NOwadays a phisical connection is "sine qua non"

Victoria

Jan 31st 2011, 12:50

Such a permanent link will more likely cost €1,500 million and not the €150 million being discussed here.

The estimates are wrong.

The financial case is suspect.

John Azzopardi

Jan 31st 2011, 12:45

150 million euros. Are you kidding me. Where and how did these estimates came about. Please publish the report in full showing only 150 million euros are needed.

A. Vella

Jan 31st 2011, 12:43

Shall we call a referendum as it is not in the Electoral Manifesto??????? Just like the Divorce issue... only 150mil Euros difference :D

galea tonio

Jan 31st 2011, 12:42

Proposing a bridge/tunnel is only an EASY WAY OUT of trying to mend the havoc created in Gozo during Giovanna's term of office.... 13 years and counting. The Government lacks a serious VISION FOR GOZO which can generate employment opportunities on the island, as well as a social and cultural environment that satisfies the intellect and life-style of the ever-ambitious young Gozitan population. Governments "eco-Gozo" idea was indeed spot on and this is the best thing that has come Gozo's way since 1996. Dr. Gonzi should back this concept with incentivising green energy initiatives on the island with the aim to make Gozo a carbon neutral island asap. The potential Gozo has is unique but can only be 'exploited' with the right people in the right places. Serious people, visionary people. Proposing a bridge/tunnel for the benefit of some 5,000 people at the very maximum (workers, students), is truly utopian whatever the construction costs turns out to be.

Mario Zammit

Jan 31st 2011, 12:35

Good one Dr. Said. Keep insisting on this idea. The majority of us Gozitans backs your proposal. Only the selfish ones prefer Gozo to remain a 'presepju' .

censu attard

Jan 31st 2011, 12:27

HA-Ha-Haaaaaa----- how stupid one can get,a tunnel or a bridge between Gozo-Comino - Malta ,dream on and keep on dreaming,that is all just to change the hot subject of divorce and the MP`s salary, don`t forget another couple of years left for the general election . As the Maltese proverb says " dak kollhu BZARR FL`GHAJNEJN".

Luca Pellegrino

Jan 31st 2011, 12:26

They want just to put more money in their pockets.

Mary micallef

Jan 31st 2011, 12:25

Here is a thought for all you NEGATIVE people in Malta. The emergency services would have free acces to Gozo and there could provide a muche better service. Holiday makers could travel at them time frame(let me see now,hmmm, Money into the economy. Sell the silly ships to a more needing place. Install proper number plate recognition payment systems like in Scandinavia. Allow Gozo to develop in its own way. The Maltese should see that if Gozo grows so does Malta. It requires some simple big picture thinking, not all this protectionism. Mary

Keith Goodlip

Jan 31st 2011, 12:24

A very good and long overdue proposal. I'll gladly pay my tax money on such projects.

Kudos to Dr. Chris Said.

C Cassar

Jan 31st 2011, 12:18

Continued .... Also, there is no way purely for safety reasons that cars would be allowed to drive 7km in a tunnel between Malta and Gozo. Maltese drivers simply haven't got the aptitude/culture to obey the strict regulations that would need to be applied within such a tunnel. The only way a tunnel could be utilised would be to have a train shuttle as in teh Channel Tunnel where cars would be loads at one end and unloaded at the other end. This would make it no quicker than the existing ferry system and ata cost of well over the €2.1 billion (1994 costs) the whole idea is simply embarassing Malta.

C Cassar

Jan 31st 2011, 12:15

The cost of €150 million is pure guess work and totally out of touch with reality. The Channel Tunnel linking England to France cost €15 billion when it was completed in 1994 (so considerably more at todays prices). That tunnel is 50km long. The distance between Gozo and Malta (Mgarr to Cirkewwa) is 5km. However, no tunnelk can start immediately on the coastline, it needs a 'run up' ata gradient so it reaches the required depth at a sensible gradient before it enters the under sea section. That means at least an extra kilometre at either end. So, if it will be a straight line (which no tunnel is) that makes a 7km tunnel. That's 14% of the length of the Channel Tunnel which would make the cost of the propsed Gozo-Malta tunnel at €2.1 billion (at 1994 prices). This doesn't even take into account that the Channel Tunnel geology was made of much softer clays rather than much harder limestone as is the case in Malta. Continued.......

Jesmond Farrugia

Jan 31st 2011, 12:12

This capital intensive but interesting project could be linked to a system of tunnels connecting other less accessible parts of the island (and bypassing environmentally sensitive areas such a Mellieha, etc). A similar project that both connected and bypassed the congested inner harbour area was proposed by a leading entrepreneur some years ago. Other benefits would accrue: CO2 and NOx emission capture would be facilitated ensuring a dramatic improvement in overall air quality; increasing the quality of life, reducing the carbon footprint (as per EU stipulated targets) whilst bringing diverse economic benefits to the islands and containing public health expenditures over the long term.

Victor Buhagiar

Jan 31st 2011, 12:11

Although Dr Said's estimate in my opinion is far to optimistic, I say yes its a better way of how to invest people's taxes instead of for example the notorious new Parliament and City Gate Project and other superfluous projects and ideas cropping up which are only adding to our debt without any sign of getting a decent return on investment. It would be of benefit for the many not the few, and will directly and indirectly give return on investment. The Government should take up this proposal together with the Opposition but please be careful to not end up spending the €150m on technical reports and nothing further is done!

Andrew B. Gatt

Jan 31st 2011, 12:08

POLITIKU B'VIZJONI - CHRIS SAID ! Progett li ghandu BISS pozittiv. Igawdi kullhadd. PROSIT CHRIS u KEEP IT UP !

mary micallef

Jan 31st 2011, 11:59

It would great to have a tunnel i live in Sweden and every time we cross on the bridge to Denmark l think how great it would be to have a crossing from Malta to Gozo

j.spiteri

Jan 31st 2011, 11:52

Go on Chris..put your money where your mouth is.

S Camilleri

Jan 31st 2011, 11:52

If all members of the House of representatives, from both sides of the political divide would renounce to the recent increase and related pensions, the cost for the tunnels would be more financially viable and its cost would be recovered some months earlier.

R Meilak

Jan 31st 2011, 11:50

Dr. Said are you sure that this is your proposal?

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110123/opinion/minding-our-gap

Carmel Saliba

Jan 31st 2011, 11:43

I FULLY AGREE WITH THIS PROPOSED TUNNEL. THIS WILL ELIMINATE THE COMING ELDERLY GOZITAN REGION.

Patrick Buttigieg

Jan 31st 2011, 11:35

Let’s make a quick analysis of what this country (i.e. our taxes) has already spent for the Gozo Channel ferry system: 1. Cost of 3 ferries: Lm15 million/ferry = Lm45 million = 105 million euros 2. Cost of Mgarr terminal = Lm12 million = 28 million euros 3. Cost of cirkewwa terminal = Lm10 million = 23 million euros i.e. approximate costs = 156 million euros. Let’s consider also the money we pay Gozo Channel which is wasted on fuel, repairs, spares and salaries (approximately Lm5 million/year = 11.7 million euros/year which for 30 years is approximately equal to 350 million euros) – AND no one is ever going to pay anything of the initial investment done by our taxes. All the above is subject to correction. But considering that after 30 years we are going to finish with NOTHING (apart from 3 diver’s shipwrecks) I think it is obvious that the next investment HAS to be a different solution other than the ferries. At least, if we opt for the tunnel, the toll fees for the crossing cars can be used to pay for the initial investment and if maintained properly it is an investment for minimum 100 years.

M. Grech

Jan 31st 2011, 11:32

To all those nay sayers about the cost what do they think a replacement fleet of ferries would cost in 15-20 years time?! A fixed link makes much more economic sense.

Joseph Cauchi

Jan 31st 2011, 11:32

I do not agree with the idea of building a tunnel to link Gozo with Malta as this would reduce Gozo to a chock-a-block island with the uninterrupted flow of traffic from the mainland that this would create! And who in his right frame of mind would want to visit a CHOKED island? Why take away the existing charm of sea-crossing? NO tunnels and NO bridges, please! JC.

d.attard

Jan 31st 2011, 11:24

we seem to have reached a stage where political expediency seems to know no bounds.

On the one hand we have been assured that an underground system in Malta linking towns and villages where hundreds of thousands of people live, is not financially viable.

Now it is being suggested that it would be financially feasable to spend 150 million euros (probably much more) to link malta to gozo where 25,000 people live permanently?

Gozo is a crucial aspect of the Maltese way of life and has its unique characteristics that blend well with other charecteristics for the benefit of all, including gozitans.

Countinuously hankering on a gozo link to malta is draining the Gozitan psyche from gaining a unique vision that will give it the best quality of life possible. Gozo's weak economy is the lack of vision and blaming links is only hiding this glaring fact.

If on the other hand this is not just another political gimmick, than the proponent may want to present a private members bill, seeing that we are in season. While at it one may also include Mr Anglu Xuereb's more realistic proposal of linking the inner harbour region via undersea tunnels.

Alfred Grech

Jan 31st 2011, 11:23

Two smaller catamarans from Valletta-Bugibba-Gozo will do the trick and will cost much less than the unrealistic dreams being suggested by many.

€150 million???? Yes, keep dreaming. Make that €300 million or more.

Anton Azzopardi

Jan 31st 2011, 11:20

Well Done Dr Said.. We back you & agree for this proposal......... As a busness man in Gozo we fully agree with yr idea & looking forward to see this happens........ We gozitans are proud to have you in parliment defending Gozo.....

Joe Dimech

Jan 31st 2011, 11:20

With Malta already in record debt this can only be the dream of mad men. If the people of Gozo have any sense at all they will make do woth the ferry service as it is the romoteness that makes Gozo idylic.The estimate given must be severely underestimated anyway.

c camilleri

Jan 31st 2011, 11:19

Talk is cheap! If we just look back at what Mater Dei was supposed to cost, what it actually cost and whether it was worth it, then we all know that this tunnel can easily cost €500 million, will be finished in 40 years time, and within 2 years of its completion would collapse under the seabed.

By then, would it matter? apart from the taxes our children and children's children would have to pay?

Chris Said, leave your childhood dreams aside and start being for real. We have real issues in Malta and Gozo and these need to be tackled now!

patrick zammit

Jan 31st 2011, 11:15

Why not add another question to the ballot paper for the divorce referendum to see if the people want a bridge, a tunnel or the present service via the ferries?

Mark Vella

Jan 31st 2011, 11:13

Igifieri ahna hawn Malta toroq li qedin il fuq mil livell tal bahar jintlew ilma fix xita (u f'certu kazi, ez gzira/ta xbiex anke ilma bahar meta jkun hemm bahar jaqbel) umbad qed naraw biex nibnu tunnel taht l'ilma?! Hehehehe, nixtieq nghix biex naraha din!

Nixtieq nara ir rotta ta dat tunnel jien.. Bil fond ta bahar li hemm bejn il gzejjer nahseb ikollom bzonn car lift tajjeb hdejn il paradise bay hotel jekk mhux behsiebom jibdew bir rampa min marsaxlokk!

Andrew Borg-Cardona

Jan 31st 2011, 11:07

This debate deserves constructive suggestions, not inane remarks about smoke-screens and elections - as if the work of Government has to stop because some fool might think an idea is a diversion. As someone who crosses virtually every week (which is nothing compared to many Gozitans) I can say that the Gozo Channel service is very good but this does not mean that the Gozitans don't deserve better. The romance of crossing by sea tends to pall after a bit, but a fixed-link can be a two-edged sword, and Chris Said's suggestion that it be studied carefully is eminently sensible.

T.Calleja

Jan 31st 2011, 11:06

We know well from previous experiences that when the Government makes an estimate by the time it is finished it will cost double the figure given i.e €300,000,000. And from were shall we start digging to go down 50 metres under the seabed, from B'Bugia? Kastelli f'arja.

Peter Korsten

Jan 31st 2011, 11:04

That €150m is a completely fictitious amount. Please, let's be realistic. If we look at similar projects in other countries, we would be looking at AT LEAST €500m, probably more.

Also, tunnels are dangerous. Given the state of our cars, how about exhaust? How about emergency evacuations? What would happen if a car or truck would catch fire? A tunnel to not interfere with shipping, such as the Channel Tunnel and the Øresund bridge/tunnel, makes sense. The Seikan Tunnel was chosen instead of bridge because of the unpredictable weather (typhoons).

But for cosmetic purposes? Please! Are you going to slap 15% on top of the national debt (because that's what we're talking about) because of the looks? It's well known that the government has no problems spending tax money on follies, but I, as a tax payer, find it a bit more difficult to swallow.

Bridge: yes. Tunnel: no way.

Richard Sammut

Jan 31st 2011, 11:01

My taxes are being used to finance a useless Piano Project in Valletta!!

It would have better had the money be used to finance such a tunnel or bridge!

Joe Camilleri

Jan 31st 2011, 10:58

If this tunnel will be built by the same persons that build our roads, then God help us.

First it would take ages to complete, and when it is completed it would be already filled with sea water leaking from everywhere

Paul Barrett

Jan 31st 2011, 10:58

I do not know how accurate the estimated 150 million euros is but to me it sounds far too conservative (cheap) for such an enormous undertaking.
I do like going to Gozo for the odd weekend but the hassle with the ferry is, to say the least, a pain.

A bridge over (and including) Comino, although still subject to closure because of bad weather, should cost less which means a quicker recovery of investment and hopefully a cheaper than the ferry tariff to use, actually does make sense. A tunnel (some 50 meters deep) will take a very long run in and out and take up a lot of real estate to implement.

R Muscat

Jan 31st 2011, 10:55

Yes lets RUIN Gozo just as we did to Malta, with uncontrolled urbanisation, pollution, noise, traffic jams, ugly apartment buildings etc etc.
Alot of the charm of Gozo is in it's insularity, tourists already complain that Malta is too overcrowded and chaotic a tunnel will defintely remove trhe charm of Gozo's insularity, besides increasing the already heavy traffic ib the north of Malta.
The solution is a better service and more modern boat links with faster access, quicker boats and direct routes to Valletta and Sliema, this will reduce traffic and solve Dr Said's dilemma to get to the OPM every day. Or is taking the steps up to Castille from the grand harbour too much for this young man?

Antonio Anastasi

Jan 31st 2011, 10:54

What happened to Eco Gozo?
Building a connection other than the present ferry will simply escalate the deterioration of Eco Gozo and that which makes Gozo so unique.
It is bad enough that the Gozitans themselves are doing there bet to over develop the island.
What needs to be done is preserve the island's pastoral environment.

J. Camilleri

Jan 31st 2011, 10:54

Well Done!

I've travelled for 10 years from gozo to Malta... it is rally tough! I was not lucky to have a bridge or tunnel between Malta and Gozo.

But i hope that my children will have this dream come true!

ellul tony

Jan 31st 2011, 10:47

if you want to improve business prospects in Gozo, get rid of Giovanna.

there are various other options that one could consider to improve transport from Malta to Gozo particularly for daily commuters. The option presented here is expensive and the environmental impacts still have to be examined.

S. Camilleri

Jan 31st 2011, 10:47

If only one can beleive this €150million figure then I agree this is money better spent then on roofless theater and a Parliament. My problem is believing this figure. Such projects are always beset by unexpected cost overruns and unplanned technical hitches, the resolution of which, 50m below sea level, will take more than a penny to resolve! My guess is that if Dr Said is saying €150 million it will be more like €300 million!!

Charles Micallef

Jan 31st 2011, 10:45

It is very refreshing to hear of such a proposal,
better still coming from a respected Parliamentary Secretary!

Can we have an airfield in the meantime?

W. Azzopardi

Jan 31st 2011, 10:43

Then Gozo would become a traffic jungle like most of Malta.

P Vella

Jan 31st 2011, 10:41

Where are the priorities in this country? But, I nearly forgot.Eelection time is on the horizon and the Gozo vote is always crucial.

Patrick

Jan 31st 2011, 10:41

Maybe some ppl are concerned about The gozo channel loosing money and maybe remove some of their staff..

i would suggest you pay to cross the bridge if you are going to gozo or vice versa for a holiday..., and gozo channel will maybe take care of the maintinance that the tunnel will be needing day after day.... apart from keeping the ferry service.

ASpiteri

Jan 31st 2011, 10:39

It is unbelievable to see calls of support for this insanity!

Eur150million on a bridge to connect 30,000 people, who only a fraction of them make it to Malta on a daily basis!

Do we really want to be serious about tax-cuts? Because if we want to see tax-cuts then we must only support the government when he promises to cut spending and not support these white elephants; mater dei, wind turbines, new parliament and now this tunnel!

If there’s really the potential for such tunnel, then private businesses, like the same Joseph Borg who proposed this idea, should get a consortium together and do it on their own without putting any burden on the tax-payer!

Jan Chircop

Jan 31st 2011, 10:35

I think whoever came up with the €150 m has got no clue about logistics and how much tunnels really cost. However, as long as the Gozitans need and pay for it themselves, I'm not too bothered :)

Chris Sant

Jan 31st 2011, 10:35

Unbelievable! So local councils complain that they lack the goverment resources to maintain a good street network and the goverment is proposing to have an underwater tunnel! How can we ever take you seriously Dr. Said?

V.Mangion

Jan 31st 2011, 10:33

funny thing is that when Joseph Muscat mentioned the same thing yesterday and the Times reported it, there were a few comments under the report which quite frankly said that Joseph has no idea what he is talking about almost to the extent that he is insane to suggest such an idea.
I see no comments of the sort today. Maybe because Chris Said happens to be PN? Maybe the same exact ideas are not valued the same when they come from different parties? LOL!

Tony Gatt

Jan 31st 2011, 10:33

I am a Maltese taxpayer and would be more than willing to support Chris Said's proposal, because of the following reasons:

(1) It will solve once and for all the problem of insularity by creating a link that is fast, reliable (no weather problems as with a ferry or a cable car) and cost effective (despite what several non-informed commentators seem to think).

(2) It will bring to Gozo more tourism and more businesses willing to invest (since the transport barrier to Malta and to the rest of the world will cease to exist)

(3) The Gozitan economy will cease to be considered as an isolated, insular, mini-economy and will benefit from the connectivity to the mainland by becoming a part of it. This will also enable them to benefit from economies of scale.

Adriano Spiteri

Jan 31st 2011, 10:29

This is a great idea even though it is a costly one.
I wonder whether it is possible to link Sicily to Malta and how much that would cost!

Karl Sultana

Jan 31st 2011, 10:27

It is also the dream of an absolute majority of gozitan university students and gozitan workers workig in Malta. On the other hand Maltese people will also gain from it as they can avoid long queues for the inefficient ferry.
Being more accessible does not mean that Gozo will lose its characteristics - Other European countries prove this wrong.
Thanks Chris Said for making this on the agenda because I believe that you can make something about it.

Ramon Mangion

Jan 31st 2011, 10:25

Do you think that you will be able to go freely between Malta and Gozo ?

Noooooooo still one would have to pay

v mercieca

Jan 31st 2011, 10:25

I rather have a bridge build from Marfa on to Commino and Qala.
Cracks in the ground do happen. See the Sta Venera tunnel after it rains. It would be worse with millions of tons of water above the tunnel.

joe,micallef

Jan 31st 2011, 10:24

How do you know that it is not going to take you 2hrs what about te traffic jams personely I prefer to use the ferry noway I use the tunnel

Geoffrey Mifsud Farrugia

Jan 31st 2011, 10:22

The proposal is definitely worth being studied seriously. It is the way forward for these islands, to modernise you have to be bold. The beauty of Gozo is not ruined with a tunnel, bit rather with bad planning, wrong decions at planning level and mismanegement.

There is just one problem with Dr Said's proposal. Where did he get the cost from?? €150 million is far from being a realistic figure. This might be his childhood dream and I am sure it is shared by many, but since our childhood, costs have soared! To build a tunnel connecting the 2 islands will cost much much more than that. And this is where the studies have to be carried out. It is useless shooting figures. The tunnel can be built, there is no question about that, we just need to know how much it will cost, where will all the material dug be thrown and how long it will take to build.

Get the ball rolling!

R Borg

Jan 31st 2011, 10:21

Maybe it will be ready by the year 3000! :)

K.Anastasi

Jan 31st 2011, 10:21

This either a smoke screen ... or just utter incompetence in forward planning! I say this when I look at the terminal being currently built for the Gozo ferry and the millions that have already been spent.

On another note... a tunnel would be a good idea, of course it will be tolled and rightly so. My main concern would be maintenance, Malta has not got a good track record in that, or safety for that matter....just look at the roads!

n. muscat

Jan 31st 2011, 10:20

Well Done Dr. Said for this great idea! Finally someone who has the courage to speak up for the Gozitans and for the hassle and burdens that they pass through when commuting everyday either to work or to study!! May I hope that finally, the Maltese government ( one side and the other ) sees the light and stop thinking about the Maltese people only but start thinking of the Gozitans as well! People, Gozo also forms a part of the Maltese Islands however they are not considered!!!! from a true gozitan.........................

Ryan Camilleri

Jan 31st 2011, 10:19

Lets say the tunnel is given the green light, I just hope that the people in charge will locate the exit points in Gozo/Malta in proper situated locations and not cause any traffic or parking problems.
E.g. having an exit point in Pembroke Malta will reduce traffic to the north of Malta....

David Buttigieg

Jan 31st 2011, 10:19

Only 150 Million?

Dream on!

patrick zammit

Jan 31st 2011, 09:56

The Govt does not consider spending E100 million for a new parliament as a problem, so why should it be a problem implementing Dr Said's suggestion? I would gladly pay my share of E375 for the project.

Waiting for 2 or more hours for a trip that should not take more than 5 minutes is a really annoying!

And if we do not consider those hideous wind turbines as an eyesore, why should a bridge be considered so? Bridges in other countries are looked upon as a pleasing landmark.

r ferriggi

Jan 31st 2011, 09:55

i understand fully and agree with CS that it is AN ORDEAL to cross he islands and the service is totally inadequate. i know it from experience.

frankly,,, Gozo channel do not give a toss for customer service and quality. everyoe knows this. it is run like any other government dept. a fifedom.

but,,,, i think that some competition to Gozo Channel will improve the situation, and such monies can be spent on the road networks, which admittedly are falling apart,,,,, especially inthe north.

mellieha, ghadira, cirkewwa roads are totally destroyed. it is obvious that these need to be RE-BUILT from scratch.

I.Scicluna - Rabat

Jan 31st 2011, 09:42

It might be a better idea to investigate whether a bridge could be built in such a way as to double also as a source of renewable energy through wave generation rather than a tunnel with a single use; connectivity.

Charles Sammut NY USA

Jan 31st 2011, 09:39

This proposal of a tunnel linking Malta and Gozo has to be a smoke screen or a topic to divert the focus away from the Govt after the unpopular MPs salary raises and the utilities price hikes. Gozo is not big enough to handle the extra car traffic. It's bad enough already. How about considering a cable car service linking Malta to Comino and Comino to Gozo? This way one would be able to travel freely between the islands without the hassle of traffic jams provided public transportation is improved. And it would cost alot less than a tunnel and it would be a much more picturesque ride.

M Pace

Jan 31st 2011, 09:33

If I am not mistaken we are investing in a ferry terminal. Long-term vision anyone ?

Andrew B. Gatt

Jan 31st 2011, 09:32

Dr Said is right. His dream as a boy, and today's proposal should be taken seriously ( courageously ) into consideration ASAP. WELL DONE CHRIS !

George Gauchi

Jan 31st 2011, 09:30

Election is getting near, now all of a sudden a tunnel between Gozo and Malta and we already know how much it`s going to cost and I also think that in the next six months we will be hearing that we are going to explore for oil,we`l promise Heaven on Earth for that No. 1 VOTE .

E Gatt

Jan 31st 2011, 09:29

Let's hope it remains just a dream.

Neville Cassar

Jan 31st 2011, 09:14

To whom shall I write the cheque to?

Joking apart.... what people dont realise is that bridge or tunnel... or whatever ... one will still need to pay. At the entrance to the tunnel you`d have a toll gate.... and € 20 or so poorer you will be able to pass through the tunnel. Thats how these tunnels / bridges pay for themselves.

So to whoever hasnt thought of this.... keep it in mind... you wont be travelling for free to get to the other side and back. Lets see what support this idea has after this bubble is burst.

Mario

Jan 31st 2011, 09:14

Light at the end of the tunnel perhaps? Just do it and spare us more unnecessary sufferring. Fed up of living in second division

Mario Micallef

Jan 31st 2011, 09:13

BRAVO Dr. Said. I would rather see €150million spent on a tunnel between Malta and Gozo than €80million spent on the Valletta City Gate project (as it is proposed) ..... that is a roofless theatre, a parliament in the square and no gate to the city, with the majority of the Maltese people (and not only Maltese) who are against it. €150million well spent for the benefit of the people of both islands.

Christian Sciberras

Jan 31st 2011, 09:11

Dr Said's a politician worth a vote during election...a rarity in the pack, though...

K Camilleri

Jan 31st 2011, 09:04

I THINK (Personal opinion) that if a tunnel or a bridge is built, it will destroy the beauty and charm Gozo has right now. I also think that Gozo will lose out of its tourism appeal and less nights will be done in Gozo apartments and farmhouses by the Maltese. It will be no longer fun to cross to Gozo for a weekend when you can arrive to Gozo with an extra 5 minute drive. Great care will have to be taken if this decision is ever taken.

Also, one has to think about the jobs that will be shed and what will be the role of the Gozo Channel.

And apart from that, I think €150m is not enough to build that tunnel.