A proposal to lay a pre-fabricated tunnel on the seabed between Malta and Gozo has been put forward as a cheaper alternative to boring through the rock but is likely to get shot down, The Sunday Times of Malta has learnt.
Sources said the proposal had first been put forward by a group of potential investors led by the late Paceville impresario Hugo Chetcuti before he was murdered in July.
It has since been picked up again by his son, and is being considered by the government as a “far cheaper” alternative to boring a 13km-long tunnel through the rock between Malta and Gozo.
Read: Study points to Gozo tunnel route preference
An international call for tenders for the design, building, maintenance, and operation of the tunnel project is expected to be published within the next six months. The government has already submitted plans concerning the project to the EU Journal – Brussels’ official gazette of record.
Meanwhile, sources said that while the laying of a tunnel on the seabed was favourable as it was cheaper and faster than boring a tunnel, it was likely not to be accepted by the environmental lobby.
If we don’t dig a tunnel, then the government can’t justify land reclamation
Senior Cabinet sources said the government was ready to accept this proposal as it was viewed as less “problematic” than digging the tunnel for the full stretch. However, they said it was likely to be shot down by the environment watchdog due to the damage it would cause to the seabed.
Other sources in the industry said they expected this proposal to be shot down as it would all but put the government’s plan for land reclamation to bed. “If we don’t dig a tunnel, then the government can’t justify land reclamation as something that has to be done to deal with the material generated from digging the tunnel,” one source said.
Read: Malta-Gozo tunnel plans should be ready within six months
The Cabinet source meanwhile poked holes in this argument saying that while this may be the case today, land reclamation was practically inevitable as other major projects earmarked for the future would eventually generate immense amounts of excavation waste too.
The current proposal will lead to the creation of a 13km-long tunnel with a seven-metre radius and one traffic lane heading in either direction, with an additional safety lane.
Traffic analysts predict that around 6,500 vehicles would use the tunnel on a day-to-day basis, with motorists paying similar tolls to those currently charged by the ferry service provider.
Excavating the tunnel is expected to take three years, with further time needed to complete the works. The government is aiming to have the project finished by as soon as 2024.
Read: Tunnel could run from Manikata to Nadur