Central Link project officially inaugurated
The Central Link Project was officially inaugurated on Sunday and Prime Minister Robert Abela stressed the importance of this project as well as others like it.
At an on-site press conference, Abela said that Since 2017, the government has embarked on the largest infrastructure projects in the country’s history. “We understand that a growing economy needs to be sustained through unprecedented road, energy and digital infrastructure development.”
Projects like the central link have been left on paper for decades, he said.
“We have invested a total of € 140 million on 7 projects – Central Link, Marsa junction, Santa Lucija project, Tal-Balal, Triq Buqana, Ħamrun-Marsa bypass, Triq Sant Andrija. ”
Through these projects, the people will reap the benefits of more than € 1 billion when calculating the time saved in traffic, lower costs for businesses and reduced emissions, he said.
He said that for every euro invested, the benefits multiply many times.
Infrastructure and the environment are complementary aspects, he said. “Every infrastructure project also has an environmental dimension.”
“With these projects, we will reduce emissions and reduce the time spent wating in traffic. When we calculate the amount of emission reductions through such projects, they are equivalent to what is being saved through ‘nationwide solar panels.’
While the government’s goal is to make people use fewer private vehicles, the solution is not to abandon road infrastructure, he said. “Our predecessors have barely worked on improvement projects and unfortunately Malta has had the highest emission levels in history.”
He mentioned a number of plans the government has to reduce the use of private vehicles, including making public transport free for all by October, and mentioned the infrastructure for cyclists that the government has included in projects. , as well as incentives to switch to electric vehicles.
Turning to the Crafts Village in Ta ‘Qali, Abela said that new life is being given. It will be one of the most beautiful attractions in the country and will be of international standards, he said.
Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg said that the whole country is benefiting from this project, including Attard and the towns in the center of the island.
He said he has his head raised as people are saving time instead of getting stuck in traffic, and there are people walking, running, cycling.
He said that the number of trees in the area has increased and that this infrastructure project was an environmental one.
“Everyone recognizes that the project was necessary and is changing their quality of life,” Borg said.
Parliamentary Secretary for EU Funds Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi said that “a country that wants to modernize itself and sustain its economy, must invest in its infrastructure.”
The Central Link project cost around € 55 million, he said, adding that it was co-financed through EU funds. “€ 11 million came from the Cohesion fund and € 4 million from the Regional Development fund,” he explained.
“In addition to improving the road network, the project had an environmental commitment, to reduce emissions.”
Infrastructure Malta Chief Executive Fredrick Azzopardi said that for many years, the Central Link project had been on the shelf, before this government moved forward with it. Many families, he said, have spent years in traffic in front of their homes, with the resulting emissions. “It is not easy to find courageous administrations to implement such a project,” he said.
He said there are now 950 more trees in the area than there were two years ago. When historical findings were found, Infrastructure Malta worked with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, he said.