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News •
March 14 2004 |
Julian Manduca
Studies are underway to consider the possibility of building new tunnels from Mellieha to Pwales and under Maghtab from Kennedy Grove to Bahar ic-Caghaq, MaltaToday has learned.
These tunnels would not be possible were it not for much awaited EU funds as the cost of building them would be way out of reach for Malta’s mediocre financial resources.
Although according to MEPA tunnels are being proposed, the Assistant Executive of the Transport Authority (ADT), Lino Zammit, told MaltaToday it was still early days to arrive at such conclusions.
Zammit said a tender for an EIA related to the upgrading of Malta’s roads, including new links, had been awarded to French company BCTOM. The company is to look into the feasibility of tunnels and other possibilities to improve the roads links between important road junctions or nodes.
The general plan includes the upgrading of the road network between Birzebbugia and Cirkewwa, with Gozo coming in for consideration at a later stage.
The studies will consider the cost and environmental impacts and Zammit said that the eventual decision will not necessarily be to decide on tunnels.
In a number of areas where roads are often congested the experts will consider whether a tunnel could help improve traffic flow, Transport Authority Assistant Executive Lino Zammit told MaltaToday.
Among other roads that are earmarked for improvement and where all possibilities will be explored, are the road between the Forum Hotel and Paceville and between Floriana and Hamrun. “The road network needs to be strengthen, and several alternatives will be considered. Improving the road links to the Sea Terminal in the Grand harbour is also being considered.”
Asked whether tunnels would create problems by the creation of enormous volumes of waste, Zammit said that the waste could be used on other ongoing projects.
With an ever-increasing number of cars on the road, the prospect of static traffic looms large, and some transport experts believe that part of the problem can be solved by adding additional roads.
That solution is frowned upon other experts but nearly every EU member has found itself adding roads on accession.
Malta’s Transport Infrastructure Project covers the arterial road network, and a Planning Description Statement (PDS) has been submitted to MEPA covering both Malta and Gozo.
MEPA’s PRO Sylvana Debono told MaltaToday “an Environment Impact Assesment (EIA) will be carried out separately for each island.”
The PDS does not indicate a definite design and according to MEPA “In view that the proposal is still conceptual, and lacks design details, the PDS only gives an indication of which road sections - defined by nodes - will be affected and the type of upgrading required. “Upgrading will involve any of the following: no change in cross section; upgrading with no widening; upgrading which requires use of more land; and major junction reconstruction.”
The PDS distinguishes between the proposed new roads and new tunnels and Sylvana Debono told this newspaper it includes a tunnel from Mellieha to Pwales (Xemxija) and a tunnel from Kennedy Grove to Bahar Ic-Chaghaq - underneath Maghtab – but that for both the exact location is still undetermined. A new or improved link is also expected to join Floriana and Hamrun while the roads department has applied for a tunnel linking Regional Road to Manoel Island.
If the tunnel underneath Maghtab gets the go-ahead it will probably pass under the permanent waste landfill at Ghallis should that project be approved.
The EU has gained itself a reputation as a funder of new roads, many of which have been surrounded in controversy. Many of Malta’s roads could do with a facelift, and Malta is planning to improve its road network with EU funds.
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