The government has shrugged off criticism that the public was not adequately informed about its planned tunnel linking Malta and Gozo, insisting the studies would be published "soon".

The publication of the studies was required as part of the process determining permits for excavation, the government said. 

The Church Environment Commission earlier this week joined over 13 NGOs warning there was no reliable information in the public domain allowing people to make an informed decision about the tunnel or any alternatives.

"The public is currently being fed information and assertions that are not backed by readily available evidence," the Church Commission said.

Plans for a 13-kilometre tunnel between Manikata and Nadur will be forging ahead, the government said, insisting the project was part of its 2017 electoral mandate.

Watch: Prime Minister Joseph Muscat details plans for infrastructure of the future

Hitting back at criticism that no adequate studies were done, the government said studies have been ongoing "for years".

It added that a social impact assessment and a cost-benefit analysis had both been completed. Authorities were also in the process of completing an Environmental Impact Assessment, the preliminary findings of which would be published in the coming months, it said. 

These studies would then form the basis of a public consultation, it added. 

The government insisted it would be forging ahead with the project," with the greatest attention and in the most meticulous way" to ensure it can be completed in a sustainable manner.