Council told to involve public over Birkirkara footbridge

The Birkirkara local council will discuss an imposing 10m-high pedestrian bridge on Valley Road that will replace traffic lights opposite the McDonalds outlet.

Minority leader Justin Schembri (PN) has asked the council for a public meeting on 5 April following a motion filed PN councillor and minority leader Justin Schembri.

In his motion to be discussed on 5 April, Schembri called on the council to organise a public meeting in which all interested parties are invited to provide information on this project.

The motion asks the council to register as an interested party in planning proceedings, obliging it provide residents and NGOs with the full information and studies related to the proposed bridge. “In this way the bridge will only be built if it is done in the interest of residents, the general public and in respect of Birkirkara’s cultural authenticity.”

The footbridge will replace the existing pelican lights across the McDonalds restaurant on Valley Road in Birkirkara, in a project proposed by Infrastructure Malta.

Equipped with eight-person capacity lifts for cyclists and people with impaired mobility, IM claims the bridge will facilitate pedestrian crossings at Valley Road.

At present, pedestrians crossing from Triq il-Knisja l-Qadima must go down a ramp or use a small flight of stairs. Pedestrians walking towards the centre of the town must use the stairs or ramps connecting Valley Road with Qrejzu Street.

An IM spokesperson also hinted that the decision is linked to increased waiting times at the traffic lights, triggered by an increase in area traffic. “During recent studies, many pedestrians were observed ignoring the pelican lights and crossing on red,” the spokesperson told MaltaToday.

IM claims the congestion caused by these pelican lights contributes to increased air pollution in the heart of Birkirkara, while on days of heavy rainfall the low-lying road is frequently flooded at the pelican lights crossing, leaving pedestrians stranded.

The bridge is meant to “ease access” to the southbound ‘Suq’ bus lay-by, one of the busiest stops of the public transport network in this area. The safe crossing will be a quicker route for pedestrians, and maximise the pit

The proposed footbridge at this crossroads will maximise the potential of different levels between the intersecting streets to create a safer segregated road crossing and a quicker route for pedestrians.

The PA’s advisory panel on design issues has yet to pronounce itself on the visual impact of the imposing structure and has asked IM for photomontages on the streetscape.

A similar footbridge is being proposed by IM for its Msida Creek flyover project, which has been objected to by NGOs and cyclists who claim it will impair mobility.

A resident who presented objections to the project warned that the development will be taking a significant amount of space from the area next to the fountain which is frequented by several elderly who congregate there every day.