The journey between Gozo and Malta will be slashed to 12 minutes if the tunnel linking the two islands materialises, according to pre-feasibility report.

The crossing currently takes motorists an average of 50 minutes – including queuing, boarding and disembarking – though the limited capacity on ferries means some passengers are left behind.

A permanent link would also see traffic increase by 10 per cent that is expected to translate into nine per cent growth for Gozo’s gross value added after 10 years.

The economic-cost benefit analysis, carried out by economist Gordon Cordina and seen by The Sunday Times of Malta, studied three options: keeping the current ferry system, or replacing them with a bridge or tunnel.

The tunnel emerged the winner – it was more cost-effective, it could be run by the private sector at a small profit of 5.25 per cent without any financial contribution from the government, and was the least polluting option.

Read more in The Sunday Times of Malta.

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