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Chinese company to carry out feasibility study on Gozo bridge
Company specialising in designing and constructing bridges ‘approached’ government to conduct €4 million feasibility study – costs to be shouldered by the same company.
14 June 2013, 12:00am
James J. Piscopo
James J. Piscopo
1 min read
The government has signed a memorandum of understanding with China Communications Construction Company Limited - a company specialising in the design and construction of bridges - to conduct a detailed feasibility study on the possibility of a bridge connecting Malta and Gozo.
According to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, it was the Chinese company itself which approached the government with a proposal to carry out the study.
"The feasibility study will cost €4 million but it will be paid for by the company itself," Muscat told journalists.
He said the government was not obliged to choose this company if government decided to construct a bridge.
The government, he added, has already instructed the company that the small island of Comino - a Natura 2000 site - should be excluded from the project and the bridge should bypass Comino.
Yesterday, Gozo Minister Anton Refalo announced a referendum would be held for the residents to choose between a tunnel or a bridge.
Quizzed by the press, the Prime Minister said the government will keep note of the environmental impacts and costs before presenting the citizens with a choice.
He also confirmed that a feasibility study on the construction of a tunnel will still go ahead. This study is part-financed by the European Union.
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*facepalm*
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Whilst obviously it is possible to build a bridge to Gozo, this will unfortunately be the demise of this beautiful island. One of the main attractions to Gozo in the past has been its isolation and the fact that it is cut off from Malta. The government in bona fide is trying at all costs to make Gozo more accessible which is something positive, however in my opinion building a bridge will change forever one's perception and image of Gozo along with its culture. In the modern world it seems that urbanization, road building etc. is taking priority over the natural order and beauty of many places. This is a real pity!
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_State_Construction_Engineering
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As for the bridge, the Chinese have a good track record when it comes to the mega projects. One just has to look at the building of new infrastructure in China and abroad. Those who mock the China of today, are only living in the past and really have no idea.
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@ Bartlu I too have stopped reading the other english paper but not because you have to pay with it. The articles usually lean in a direction, but what irks me is the censorship applied to the comments. If your comments debunks another comment of political leaning they will not show it. Political censorship of the worst kind.
Priscilla Darmenia •
@ bartlu: I too have stopped buying and reading the other English paper for over 2 years now. Same reason that I it was PN biased and insulted my intelligence. Now even more than before I will not read the electronic version as they are the only paper who makes you pay for it.
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bartlu: good choice...so have I!
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It is quite probable that the old blinkered stupid people, so correctly referred to by Sagitarius, never heard of the China Dock built by the Chinese for Malta Dry Docks in the 1970s.
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Issa stennew l-esperti tal-PN hergin qatta bla habel knotra dan l-ftehim. Il-PL malajr tghallem minn fejn jista jigi l-investiment. Il-buqxiex qieghed ic-Cina u l-pajjizi tal-Golf Gharbi. L-ewropa falluta u biex tiehu xi haga bit-tqanzih. Niftakar li tal-PN wara mitt gurnata milll-elezzjoni tat-2008 kienu ghadhom icekcku t-tazzi u l-PL se jaqleb lil Malta ta taht fuq. Jghidulu gvern amateur. Amateur indeed....
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Do not be naive. China is moving forward to becoming a Super Power and it is becoming to look like China is outdoing the USA in every which way. In the last few years the USA has lost a lot of it's credibility, even with their own people. This happens with every Super Power and it is happening to the USA. Example: Greece, Rome,Russia,Germany,Britain etc. History has a habit of repeating itself. What goes up must come down. Sad enough, it is mostly the leaders that bring these countries down.
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We have a Chinese communist potential bidder for the LNG Power station and now we have the same communist nation under the disguise of a company doing us a €4,000,000 favour!
Sounds like we’re in for some nasty politics in the EU and the UN. How can Malta vote against a “friendly” country?
If we want real bridge builders at a good fair price , call in the(South) Koreans .
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you are so right,Sagitarius. I have stopped buying the other english daily, and i have stopped reading it online as well.I refuse to pay money to have my intelligence insulted!! I have instead switched to maltatoday for my regular update of news: it is actually a shame that we dont get the maltatoday issued daily. I, for one would gladly buy it every day.....
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China is a world economic power and a giant economic block. In another English local daily I read stupid comments from the same old blinkered stupid people deriding the Chinese. Can they keep stooping so low? Let them continue believing they are putting spokes in the wheel while the Labour government will continue with its solid work.
