Gozo tunnel will thwart government's traffic reduction plan, AD insists

The construction of a permanent link between Gozo and Malta will lead to an increase in the number of car journeys across the two islands, directly nullifying the government's plans to curb traffic, Alternattiva Demokratika said.

Addressing a press conference in the l-Gherien area in the limits of Mellieha - where reports say one of the tunnel's entrances will be located - AD chairperson Carmel Cacopardo highlighted the detrimental environmental impact the project would have.

"We know the tunnel's entrance point will be in the l-Gherien area - and not at Limbordin, as had been previous thought - not only through newspaper reports, but also because technical people have visited the site to carry out measurements and collect samples," he said.

Carmel Cacopardo (second from left) said that although against the tunnel project, AD was not against addressing the problem of mobility between Malta and Gozo

Cacopardo said that a study by Transport Malta and the Gozo Business Chamber carried out in 2015 had found that, on average, there will be 9,000 vehicle movements each day across the tunnel, within 15 years of its construction.

"Roads will therefore have to be widened, negatively affecting the farming land and fields in the area," he said. Wied tal-Pwales and Simar Nature Reserve, which are located close to the proposed tunnel entrance, are amongst the ecological areas which will take the brunt of the environmental damage and disruption brought by the project."

He noted that the Mizieb perched aquifer would also likely suffer some kind of effect. "The Mizieb aquifer is elevated, and consequently contains some of the least contaminated water in Malta, studies show."

Cacopardo went on to underscore that caves which served as prehistoric dwellings can also be found by the proposed entrance, and it was not clear what would happen to these if the tunnel is built.

While AD is against the tunnel project, it is not against addressing the problem of mobility between Malta and Gozo, he said.

"But to deal with this, we need to focus on people mobility not the mobility of vehicles," Cacopardo insisted. "The best way to do this is through a fast ferry from Gozo to different stops in Malta, such as Xemxija, Valletta and Sliema."