Three-quarters of the public support the Central Link road project, Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg told Parliament on Tuesday. Citing an as-yet-unpublished Social Impact Assessment commissioned as part of the planning process for the Attard project, the minister said similar numbers had said the project would cut journey times, while more than half believed it would reduce emissions.
As the study has not yet been made public, no details on its methodology are available. “We’ve listened to people’s concerns and we’ve amended the plans in places, but this is a good project and one that will be carried out,” Dr Borg said.The €55 million Central Link project is intended to alleviate traffic congestion in Attard’s village core, and stretches from the Mrieħel bypass to the foot of Saqqajja Hill on the outskirts of Rabat.Thousands of people have made submissions to the Planning Authority both against and in favour of the project, with opponents insisting the project will attract even more traffic and pollution to the Attard area, and lead to the destruction of trees and vast tracts of agricultural land.Speaking in Parliament during a debate on his ministry’s financial estimates, Dr…
