Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1105612
4 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 17 APRIL 2019 MASSIMO COSTA ARNOLD Cassola has formally submit- ted his nomination as an independent candidate for the European Parliament elections. The ex-Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson was nominated by for- mer European Court of Human Rights judge Giovanni Bonello, writer Oliver Friggieri, psychologist Mary Anne Lau- ri and artist Debbie Caruana Dingli. In comments to MaltaToday after filing his candidature, Cassola said he was honoured to receive the four per- sonalities' backing. "I am very honoured to have had these four persons of national rele- vance having shown their faith in me by nominating me for the European Parliament elections. They are people who have given a lot to Malta in the human rights, culture and literature, arts and ethics arenas," he said. In terms of his main aims if elected, Cassola said he would be working to use European Union laws and funds to the benefit of Malta's best interest. "Unfortunately there are several cas- es in Malta where EU laws are being ignored, starting from the Gozo tun- nel project, of which we know noth- ing, despite there being an EU obliga- tion - through the Aarhus Convention - that any [environmental] study has to be published and discussed in pub- lic before the project is decided upon," Cassola highlighted. "The government is ignoring all this and breaking EU laws. If elected, I would strive to fight this abuse," he added. In February, Cassola resigned from AD – a party he had been a founding member of –following a disagreement with AD MEP candidate Mina Tolu after she called for a "safe place" to discuss abortion. . He subsequently had announced he would be running as an independent candidate in May's European elec- tions. mcosta@mediatoday.com.mt Arnold Cassola files MEP candidature The former Alternattiva Demokratika chairperson, who is running as an independent MEP candidate, was nominated by Giovanni Bonello, Oliver Friggieri, Mary Anne Lauri and Debbie Caruana Dingli Arnold Cassola signing his canidature application KURT SANSONE THE first two of 42 pillars that will support the seven flyovers of the Marsa Junction project have started to take shape. Contractors have for the past few months excavated the ar- ea and cast concrete and steel piles that will serve as a foun- dation for the pillars. The columns will be sup- porting 350 horizontal beams, ranging in length between 25 metres and 35 metres. The €70 million Marsa Pro- ject will do away with the ex- isting traffic lights system at the junction, which is a vital gateway to the south of Malta. The seven flyovers will be at three different levels, creating direct northbound and south- bound connections between Triq Aldo Moro, Vjal Sir Paul Boffa, Vjal Santa Lucija, Triq Giuseppe Garibaldi and Triq il-Marsa. This EU-funded develop- ment will eliminate traffic lights waiting times and relat- ed congestion emissions, for over 100,000 road users who travel through this junction every day. The project will include the highest, the longest and the widest flyover structures ever built in Malta. The tallest one will rise over four storeys to surpass a lower flyover beneath it, whilst the two longest ones, extending over 400 metres, will connect Triq Garibaldi and Vjal Santa Lucija to Triq Aldo Moro. The widest of the seven structures will include four vehicle lanes, which will fork out into two different flyovers, each with two lanes. Pillars start going up at Marsa Junction project The Marsa Junction project's first of 42 planned pillars have started to take shape