Councils shown draft plan for new Paceville flyover

A draft plan for the construction of a grade-separated junction at the Paceville entrance on Regional Road has been discussed with local councils, Infrastructure Malta said.

The proposed Kappara-style junction with a roundabout beneath a flyover will replace existing traffic lights and the narrow and dangerous tunnel connecting Swieqi with the Bay Street area. The plans also foresee a new road loop on undeveloped land between Regional Road and Triq il-Marbat, which has been safeguarded for the future upgrade of the road network since the 1990s.

The plans also suggest the construction of a lift and a pedestrian bridge in Triq l-Gharbiel to connect Swieqi with the Villa Rosa area.

But the plan which has been sent to MaltaToday by concerned Swieqi residents who fear an increase of traffic passing through their neighbourhoods, is still an early draft which is still being modified.

The draft plan shown to local councils showing a grade separation junction instead of the present Swieqi tunnel and the hairpin turns in Saint Andrew's

Infrastructure Malta CEO Ivan Falzon described the plan as an “early concept, used for discussions with local councils”, adding that “much more work needs to happen before a final plan is approved”.

MaltaToday is informed that it is unlikely for the grade separated junction project to be finalised in the next year and IM is currently focusing on other sections of St Andrew’s main road.

On Sunday, MaltaToday  published the final plans for the creation of two hairpin turns; one near the Luxol Ground and another near the Red Cross building at the intersection between Triq Walter Ganado and Triq Sant Andrija.

Along with the creation of a new road linking Triq il-Gwienaq in Swieqi to Triq Sant Andrija, these changes are aimed at facilitating the flow of traffic in the area.

Plans for the widening of a section of Triq Sant Andrija leading to Triq Villa Rosa by six metres on the side of the valley have also been finalised but will require approval by the Planning Authority.

Swieqi mayor sceptical on hairpin turns

Contacted by MaltaToday Swieqi mayor Noel Muscat confirmed that the draft plan for the new grade separated junction has been discussed with the council in consultation meetings with IM.

But he contends that more detail is needed before the council, which has hired its own traffic experts, can pronounce itself on this aspect of the project.

Muscat described the ongoing consultation with the local council as “an improvement over the way decisions were taken in the recent past”.

He also welcomed the creation of a new road linking Triq il-Gwienaq to Triq Sant Andrija which will provide an exit from Swieqi.

“This is something on which we have been insisting on for a long time,” Muscat told MaltaToday.

But Muscat expressed scepticism that the hairpin turns in St Andews will cope with the expected traffic volumes in the area, especially after the DB and Villa Rosa projects start operating.

“These projects are so massive that they are bound to increase traffic volumes not just because of the commercial facilities like shopping malls included within the projects but also because of the need to accommodate thousands of foreign workers working in them.”

Muscat insists that the only long-term solution to the problem is the construction of an underpass under the existing road network.

In comments to the Times on Monday Pembroke mayor Dean Hili was also sceptical that the hairpin turns would absorb the higher volumes of traffic generated by the DB project and others in the area.

“I tend to support the solutions mentioned but those are clearly intended to address today’s issues not the ones yet to come,” he added.

On his part Ivan Falzon had told MaltaToday that the road upgrade is based on a traffic model study based on the projected traffic increase for the coming years.