Coast Road plans revised again

Transport Malta filed a planning application last week, proposing changes to plans approved by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority in 2011, to lessen the devastating environmental impact of the proposed four-lane carriageway.

The project, whose aim is to provide a safer road design, is set to heavily impact the environment by taking up 56,000 square metres of undeveloped land.

Describing the latest planning application as “a refinement of the previous permit” a spokesperson for Transport Malta claimed that the aim of the latest plans is that of  preserving further the existing mature trees along Kennedy Drive and reducing the loss of  agricultural land at Il-Gonna tal-Barbier. These changes were made following consultations with environmental organisation Flimkien Ghal Ambjent Ahjar.

A new roundabout is being included in the proposal. This will facilitate the access to and from the Salina Hamlet and the hotel, by making the travel itinerary for various commuters more effective. This will also help reduce vehicle emissions.

The latest plans also reduce the take up of agricultural land in the area known as il-Gonna tal-Barbier. This will be achieved by shifting the proposed road further towards the existing approved footprint.

The changes from Kennedy Grove to the Qawra traffic lights (along Kennedy Drive) consist mainly of a shift in the road alignment intended to further safeguard the existing trees. This was required because studies showed that the root structure of the trees and the trees’ inclination necessitated shifting of the road laterally.

In this area the changes involve the lateral shifting of the road (north bound) by about three metres onto private land to widen the central strip originally planned. The increased width of the central strip will enable better preservation of the trees. Although the latest plans are aimed to minimise the environmental impact, an additional 1,823 square metres over and above what was approved in 2011, will be taken up by the latest plans. An embankment is also being proposed along the new road.

The coast road saga

The project, which envisions the widening of the Coast Road from the current two to four lanes, originally included a road passing right in the middle of agricultural land in Burmarrad. The proposal was to shift an existing road which splits the Kennedy Grove recreational park to the Burmarrad  agricultural area. But this proposal was dropped after opposition by farmers.

When the project was approved in 2011, the MEPA board refused to approve TM’s plans for the junction at Qalet Marku, asking it to go back to the drawing board.

Initially in its bid to turn the coast road into a four-lane carriageway TM proposed a roundabout junction near the Maghtab access. This would have resulted in the project taking up a considerably large amount of land.

According to the latest plans a T-junction will be developed instead of a gigantic roundabout at Qalet Marku, as initially proposed by Transport Malta in its first plans.