“This project reflects three living qualities of the Maltese people: ambition, wisdom, and perseverance” – Prime Minister Robert Abela.
Prime Minister Robert Abela, together with the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg and the Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, inaugurated the Marsa Junction project with an investment of €70 million.
This is the largest infrastructure project the country has ever seen and through it will reduce traffic, travel time, and there will be less emissions into the air due to congestion.
The Prime Minister said that this project reflects three living qualities of the Maltese people: ambition, wisdom, and perseverance. “This ambition that we have as a government reflects that of the Maltese people. People who are not happy with the mediocrity or the solutions of yesterday and who have really trusted us to carry out such projects, to not only shape the future but to build it today.”
Dr Abela also mentioned that this project also shows wisdom in the way we are investing our money and the money we manage to get as a result of Malta’s membership in the European Union. “At a time when the world and our country are facing a pandemic, we have not stopped investing in the country. I gave a clear direction that despite the pandemic what needs to be done, is done. We are no longer at a moment when we are bringing in less money and so we are putting capital investment aside, ” he said.
Prime Minister Robert Abela mentioned how this was also possible thanks to the ability of all the professionals who worked on this project and the hundreds of workers who at one time or another took part in this project, day and night, summer and winter, holiday or not. “Therefore I say that when we get through the pandemic the world will find Malta ready for global competition. Because it didn’t stop us from waiting for the misfortune to pass. But, we saw how a challenge turned into an opportunity, “concluded the Prime Minister.
Minister Ian Borg said that through this project the government has given the key to the south of the country, a very important corridor for the tens of thousands of people who travel from this area through of this intervention to be carried out within three years according to the budget and the planned time.
“We are providing appropriate infrastructure to travellers by alternative means, primarily by public transport and then the park and ride that is now being opened next to the Addolorata cemetery as well as other ways such as the underpass for cyclists and pedestrian bridges. We also thought about its sustainability through 18,000 trees and shrubs that will be maintained with the water being collected. For the first time we have structures that see three levels of roads on top of each other in our country and this makes it the biggest infrastructural investment of all time, “said the Minister.
Parliamentary Secretary Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi stated that the Marsa Junction project had € 52 million with European funds allocated to it, a substantial part of it from the Connecting Europe Facility and another part from the Cohesion Fund. The Parliamentary Secretary said that thanks to European funds we are working together to strengthen the infrastructure of our country for the benefit of Maltese and Gozitans.
Infrastructure Malta Chief Executive Frederick Azzopardi stressed that the Marsa Junction Project is a living testament to the core values of Infrastructure Malta’s infrastructure work — quality, efficiency, safety and sustainability. By removing the Addolorata traffic lights, we have reduced car pollution by between 50 and 70 percent, which means cleaner air for families in Marsa and Paola. Our work will continue in this direction. “
Link to video: https://we.tl/t-1mpLSwSTRr
Photos: Clodagh O’Neill / Omar Camilleri
