[WATCH] How new Paola tidal lane system will work

Transport Malta has introduced a tidal lane system in Sir Paul Boffa Avenue in Paola, and the system will be tested at 21:00 tonight.

The tidal lane is a system that changes the direction of traffic in one lane to maximise the capacity of the road, and it has never been implemented in Malta so far.

Sir Paul Boffa Avenue is a four-lane road, and as such it is usually split into two carriageways, two lanes northbound and two southbound. However, with the tidal lane, one lane allows traffic from one direction during the morning and from the other throughout the evening.  

Retractable bollards will also be introduced to control the direction of the lane from both sides, as well as a set of bollards lowered and another raised guiding vehicles to access the lane from one direction or the other.  

Transport Malta added that it has implemented a number of measures to make the transition safe including fixed bollards used to delineate the transitional lane so that vehicles cannot veer off in the wrong direction.  Traffic lights have also been installed to stop cars from accidentally going over the rising bollards.  The bollards will only be raised after officials visually ascertain no cars are approaching.

Transport Malta added that it will change the lane direction at 21:00 to have three lanes going towards Valletta during the following morning.  It added that the lane direction will change again at 14:00 to have two lanes towards Valletta and two towards Paola when most people return home from work.  Transport Malta adds that the tidal lane aims to maximise the efficiency of the road within the existing capacity and it asks drivers to follow signs and drive with caution especially during these first days of a new system for Malta.