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€500 million price tag on Gozo tunnel link
Tunnel could cost up to 1 billion euros for two-lane uni-directional tunnel, and take up to seven years to construct.
26 April 2012, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Transport Minister Austin Gatt with justice and Gozo ministers Chris Said and Giovanna Debono addressing a press conference to announce the conclusions of the preliminary analysis on the Gozo-Malta Tunnel.
The Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications has now instructed Transport Malta to commission detailed feasibility studies on a road-tunnel link between Malta and Gozo.
"This follows expert findings that in principle, and on the basis of a preliminary and high level review, a road link is technologically doable and may be economically feasible," minister Austin Gatt said.
In July 2011, Transport Malta appointed Mott Macdonald to carry out a preliminary analysis of road tunnel link options between Malta and Gozo.
The five-month study provided a list of technical, engineering, environmental and economic issues relating to potential sub-sea tunnel fixed-link options connecting Malta and Gozo.
The final report identifies four potential tunnel alignments for further investigation.
The number of vehicles crossing between Malta and Gozo has increased at 4.1% per annum between 2000 and 2010. In 2010, there were an average of 1,500 vehicles per day per direction and 5,500 people per day per direction travelling between Malta and Gozo.
"The introduction of a fixed link would reduce average journey times between Gozo and Malta by at least 40 minutes," Gatt said.
Four potential tunnels alignments have been assessed at a preliminary, conceptual level ranging in length between 6 and 10 kilometres depending on their depth and structural design.
The typical construction stage for a tunnel of this nature would be approximately 5 to 7 years, but this average duration is strongly dependant on the geological environment.
A detailed geological and geotechnical investigation is still required to determine more precisely the tunnel alignment, tunnel form, cost and construction methodology.
Based on the reviewed case studies, the range of costs estimated for the construction of the fixed link is wide and would depend on ground conditions and other circumstances.
The consultants have estimated a range of costs for each tunnel alignment option between €156-€492 million for a single-bore, three-lane bi-directional tunnel, up to €1,080 million for a twin-bore two-lane uni-directional tunnel.
Mott Macdonald also found that an undersea tunnel link between Malta and Gozo would be technically feasible. A road tunnel link between Malta and Gozo could potentially be co-financed by the European Union under the Cohesion Fund.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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franco everyone will need a submarine to go through
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Petruccio et terra pax hominibus bonus voluntatem
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Rummienu , sehhet haga ta' l-ghageb u ta' l-ghegubijiet ghax irnexxilna niskopru li sa fl'ahhar qbilna darba ma' Giovann Demartino ghax kollha qed nghidu li il-mina ta' bejn Malta u Ghawdex ma ghandiex issir. Gloria in excelsis deo .
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Vassallo Builders
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Gozo does not need a tunnel linkage. The ferries are fine. Look at NY. People are ferried back and forth from Staten Island and the Island of Manhattan in NYC daily and they never complain. And winters can be pretty brutal. And here we want a tunnel. Leave Gozo the way it is, that is what makes it a great tourist destination.
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Reminds me of "The Everly Brothers - All I have to do is dream" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fW7MoINvQc
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When we start this project,we are going to put 8000 people to work on this project, this is a big dig,you dig.So vote for me PN and shut the f...k up.
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Imma meta dawn il-povri politici ser jieqfu jahsbu li ahna in-nies ma ghadniex tal-moghdija taz-zmien.Messkom tisthu.
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How stupid does the PN think we are? Is this another big project gimmick prior to the elections ? What about Smart City? What about White Rocks? What about Ta' Qali Crafts Village ? What about the Cospicua Project left abondoned? The PN does not even have money to built the usless City Gate and Parliament, from where are they going to get the 500 million? They cannot be more ridiculous then this. Its so obvuiious that they are panicing before the elections. Unbelievable !
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Another GonziPN chimera, like Smart City. So now, instead of sending thousands of promise letters which this time nobody will believe, Gonz`iPN will be resorting to these 'bright future' tactics, like striking oil, Gozo tunnel, and other nice projects and expectations which promise a better life. The elections are near, my dears.
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Some mothers really DO have them, but i never believed they would be this stupid.
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Were it not just an electoral gimmick in an Island where voting preferences are shifting, proceeding with this project would be the mega folly of the century. It would make the City Gate extravagance pale into insignificance. For its finance a Gozitan extra special SPV more creative than the Gozitan pizza special would be needed. If the investment required for the project had to be made available and injected into the Gozo economy in the right way it would solve most of island's problems by generating a wealth of new jobs and business sustaining opportunities.
Luke Camilleri •
Another SMART pre-electoral vision....
Maybe we'll find oil int the digging process and tunnel will be self financed!
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Dreaming just dreaming they dont even have money to pay for CITY GATE.
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This idea of a tunnel will never materialize. Fix the gozitan roads first and then talk tunnel. This election gimmick will not work.
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Allow me to act as a prophet:
The study will proceed - all the "experts" and "consultants" will earn big thousands if not few millions for their "study" and the tunnel will never be built.
If the tunnel will ever be built, the cost will be much higher then they predict and it will throw this country in bankruptcy.
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First came Smart City and then White Rocks and then the Valletta Lift and then a cable car in Valletta and then the regeneration of the Grand Harbour and keeps on and on....and now we have this massive Gozo project......whats next GonziPN have in their sleeve....ah yes WE FOUND OIL!!!!
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Jekk it-teknologija biex tinbena din il-mina hija tajba daqs dik uzata biex tinbena it-triq tac-cimiterju tat-Torok li f'semplici sentejn u ftit iddisentegrat minn bosta bnadi, il-bambin izomm idejh fuqna. Jista' il-ministru tal-hofor jghidilna ghalhiex grala hekk din it-triq li nbiet mit-taxxi tal-Maltin. Hemm xi hadd responsabbli f'dan il-gvern li jara li din it triq tkun irrangata a skapitu ta' min ma' ghamilhiex sew? Fejnhom il-par idejn sodi?
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500 million euros for a tunnel to gozo !!!!!!!!!!!! Is this Super Minister and his puppets INSANE .....And our roads remain as they are ...tajjeb eh ...u hallina bil kwiet Austin u mur inhebba .
Joseph Grech •
“The five-month study provided a list of technical, engineering, environmental and economic issues” I suppose there were safety issues considered too. In that case a single bore, three lane bidirectional tunnel should have been ruled out, with the average condition of Malta’s road vehicles (fire hazard) and driver indiscipline (accidents and carriage of hazardous material – potassium nitrate maybe) a twin bore tunnel must be the minimum standard. Optimal standard for such long tunnels is the addition of a third service/emergency tunnel connecting to the other two. €1 billion plus.
Economically feasible: assuming the going rate is 85% EU and 15% Maltese taxpayer, €150 million taxpayer money. Using Gozo Channel fares: 1500 vehicles x €16 x 365 days = €9million a year from vehicles. If charge is going to be for every passenger to; 5500 x €4.5 x 365 days = €2.5 million. That is assuming that no subsidy is given to Gozo residents. That’s 7.6% p.a of the cost to the taxpayer. If it was financed by more gov loans at 5% that leaves 2.6% for servicing the pay back so it takes 40 years to pay back the loan. Ok so it is feasible if Gozo residents are not subsidized and no maintenance costs and personnel are employed at the toll stations and to man the security cameras on the 6 to 10 km tunnels.
Such a project at a minimum of €450 million for 6000 people a day is doable and not considered to be over spending EU cash allocation. The same amount to build a tunnel network on the Maltese islands to harvest 26 million cubic metres of rain water a year to serve 400,000 people and ensure that water infrastructure was sustainable for future generations was not doable!! Some body has their priorities wrong!
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If Dr Austin Gatt 'sappi tuuto' takes over the project, the tunnel would probably end in the middle of nowhere......and it would cost ten times as much! Bravu f'kollox dan!
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The St Venera Tunnels are 100meters above sea level and have water leaks I'd hate to think what the gozo channel would be like constructed by a rightist government. Maybe by the time the tunnel is finished an underwater car would have been invented.
Luke Camilleri •
l-ewwel inhallsu il-Power Station ta' Delimara, wara il-progett ta' Bieb il_belt, wara id-dejn tal -Enemalta, id-defiCIT naghmluh SURPLUS imbghad jibda it-thaffir......wara li nlestu it-Terminal tac-Cirkewwa.....
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Simply look at Mater Dei a €200 million hospital taht took 17 years to build at a cost €800 million abouts. Just imagine this tunnel what it would cost most probabbly €1.0 billion to €1.5 billion by the time it is finished.
Luke Camilleri •
Another SMART eve of the election vote-catching gimmick,possibly hatched by Dr. Paul Borg Olivier's ASSistant whilst still holding on to his Ministerial post!
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Imma possibli li il-partit nazzjonalista jew GONZIPN spicca f'din il-qaghda miskina u tal-biza?.Possibli li ghadom ma jafux li fis-sena 2012 huwa difficli hafna biex titmellah bin-nies hlief bx hadd bhas sur Deeeeeeemartinoo?
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mela tistaw tnizluwa li jekk xi darba dan il proget jibda min 500 miljun euro issir ghal tlet darbit iktar u min 7 snien ghal 25 sena u nispera li ma tkunx fidejn il bravu wistin ghax froga ohra ikkona. jekk nihdu ezempju ta lisptar mater dei rigward spiza u zmien bizzejed. fuq kollox ghax waslet lelezzjoni dan it tijatrin kollu
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There is no need for a link all we need is more frequent Gozo channel trips and a more efficient Gozo Channel IT WILL BE A LOT CHEAPER..Could this be another gimmick like SMART CITY?
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Quick calculation. Assuming it costs 1 billion euros. Legal interest at 8% amounts to 80 million euros every year. 1,500 vehicles passing through every day for 365 day a year means that the charge for every vehicle just to service the interest would be just over 146 euros. even if the vehicles were to increase to 2,000 every day, the charge would amount to just under 110 euros. This is only to service the interest and not to redeem the capital. Can anyone in his proper senses think that Maltese drivers will be able to pay theses amounts just to pass through the tunnel? What about redeeming the capital? What about servicing and maintenance? This is assuming that it costs 1 billion euros because everyone knows that every project in Malta costs three to four times the original estimate if not more and take a very long time to complete. The Mgarr terminal is the perfect example. Keep on dreaming Giovanna, Gonzi, Austin e bella compania. You shall come back to your senses after the next election.
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Yet another red herring by GonziPN!! Unbelievable! In the true spirit of Josef Goebels!!
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Meta il-gvern jghid li ser jaghmel progett li jiswa tant , dejjem sibna li kien mar zmerc mhux b'xi ftit eluf , izda b'miljuni kbar . Meta jghid li dan il-progett ser jitlesta f'tant perjodu ta' zmien , dejjem mar zmerc , u dan l-istess haga mhux b'xi sena ,izda b'diversi snin . Mela issa jekk nuzaw l-istess metidologija , il €500 miljun irridu ninsewhom ,ghax probabbilment jizdiedu id-doppju u is-seba' snin jigu bejn wiehed u iehor 70 sena . Jekk tharsu lejn kemm ilu sejjer il-progett tac-Cirkewwa tistghu taraw ezempju perfett .
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Hareg il movie Three stooges il gdid morru arawh ha tidhqu, din ta l-ahhar hija vera tad-dahq, jivvintaw tunnel min Malta ghal Ghawdex, l-anqas haqq il-flus ghal konsulenti hbieb tal hbieb. Morru ic-Cirkewwa u taraw tharbita ta l-fuq min himstax il-sena min mindu qalu li sejrin jirrnagaw it-terminal u l-anqas ghadom ma l-estewh. Jew nibki jew nidhaq, insaqsi lil Maltin onesti u ma jarawx bhaz-zwiemel tat-tigrijja imma tista titmejjel izjed bil Popolin jahasra, dawn serji dawn it-tlett dilettanti tal hmerijiet, biex taraw min mexxxiena dawn l-ahhar hamsa u ghoxrin sena,l-anqas temmen li johorgu b'dawn ic-cucati, issa vera buffunati. Tlett majestri tac-cirku. Skuzawni imma issa wisq.
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Bla Bla Bla Bla Bla!!!!! It will never happen in a million years!!! What we need are tunnels on land to alleviate the monstrous traffic on both islands, all over Malta and around Victoria!! And they should cost a lot less. Misskhom tisthu Santa Giovanna & San Kristofru, tghaddu z-zmien bin-nies!!
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Vassallo Builders
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U tfaccaw tlett magi biex ihabbrulna l-progett tal-mina ..... jien hsibt li se jghidulna li ga lestewha b'din l-ghaggla kollha .... imma taf int, b'austin gatt imsakkar fil-pieta, ma tantx kellu cans joqghod imur ihaffer hu stess halli nehilsuha qabel l-elezzjoni!!! Issa nispera li l-gimgha li gejja jerga' jkun hemm press conference ohra b'austin gatt, gonzipn u dak il-ministru ohxon ohxon bil-mustacci (insejt x'jismu!!) jghidulna li sabu z-zejt u l-gass!!!! Heqq, bl-elezzjoni wara l-kantuniera issa min jaf kemm se nisimghu minn dawk li meta konna zghar konna nghidulhom zinnijiet ......
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Dal-progett zgur li mhu se jsir qatt. Zgur li le. Ikun kollu hela ta' flus ghal xejn u JEKK, dejjm JEKK ikollu jsir Ghawdex jitlef is-sabih tieghu. Isir semplicement bicca minn Malta. Xi haga simili kienu holmu biha xi 60 sena ilu. Kollox intesa bhalma se jintesa dan erbat ijiem ohra.
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Jista xi bravu jghidli x'jigifieri "economically viable"? U kif ikun fiha jista' jtini ftit ezempji recenti ta' progetti "economically viable"? Biex naghmlu bicca triq fuq l-art indumu snin shah u jigi jiswew id-doppju tal-prezz originali (tiftakar Giovanna?) u issa rridu nghamlu triq fil-bahar! U halluna bi kwietna. Wasal iz-zmien li ddabru raskhom u thallu lil dan il-poplu bi kwietu. Wahda nghidilkom: xi ftit imzazen se taqbdu b'din ix-xibka wkoll - izda certament mhux il-maggoranza assoluta tal-poplu Malti u Ghawdxi. It-tmiem wasal. Merhbha lill-bidu l-gdid.
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We have really gone off the block now. So we ignore all of Malta's road network for practically 25 years; put in place a rubbish bus system that looks after the interests of the operator far more than those of the customer, and on the eve of elections we dream up fantasylandia. What did we ruin Gozo/Cirkewwa's picturesque harbours for then, now to do away with the ferries?
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We have really gone off the block now. So we ignore all of Malta's road network for practically 25 years; put in place a rubbish bus system that looks after the interests of the operator far more than those of the customer, and on the eve of elections we dream up fantasylandia. What did we ruin Gozo/Cirkewwa's picturesque harbours for then, now to do away with the ferries?
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500 milion that just the start,by the end of the tunnel the price will go up to a billion, you dig.
