Why the bridge linking Malta to Gozo is a terrible idea - Opinion Article

I’d like to start this off by pointing out that Malta has a limited budget. We can spend a given amount of money and use this money for a given amount of projects. I'm saying this because a billion euros minimum is a hell of a lot of money for Malta, meaning that if it were to finance the bridge, for both option 1 and option 2 of the project, the Maltese government would have a lot less money to spend on other valid projects.

Now let me make it clear I’m not a Gozitan and I don’t have to catch the ferry frequently. I do understand the frustration coming from Gozitans though. Gozitans do deserve a better service but a bridge won’t solve the problem.

Imagine getting stuck in traffic every day during the rush hour while trying to get home. Now anyone who doesn’t walk to work or school experiences this. Now imagine getting stuck in traffic from the centre of Malta till Mellieha and add to that nearly 9km of road. Great isn’t it? 

There will probably be more cars in Malta since thousands of Gozitans will be commuting daily to the motherland. Now I don’t know how long it would take for a Gozitan to get home, but I’m sure it would be a very long ride.

1 billion euros for that! Problem solved. Now imagine a different system, a cheaper and less polluting system. A system where you can take a short commute to Valletta, and catch a fast and frequent catamaran to Gozo. I’d reckon it would be much faster than having to cross the congested island by car, whilst also costing much less. Also people who live on the North of the island can catch a fast and frequent catamaran too from Cirkewwa.

Apart from that the bridge itself would be an eyesore. A tunnel could be a solution for this problem if it wouldn’t end up costing so much more than an already very expensive bridge, however construction would definitely lead to a huge increase in water turbidity, which is very detrimental to the sea's natural biota. The bridge would also turn Gozo into a single ‘blokka tal-konrit’, since it would now be so easy to develop as a mere extension of Mellieha.

All in all I feel as though we can invest our money elsewhere. A fast and frequent catamaran to Valletta is just so much cheaper and probably more effective than a bridge. Sometimes simple solutions work best.  

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Marc'Andrea