Transport Malta hails Paola tidal lane as success

Transport Malta hailed the recent implementation of a tidal lane in Sir Paul Boffa Avenue, Paola as successful in easing traffic congestion.

The tidal lane is a system that changes the direction of traffic in one lane to maximize the capacity of the road, but had never been introduced in Malta prior to two weeks ago.

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.  

Fixed bollards in the road delineate the transitional lane so that vehicles cannot veer off in the wrong direction, and traffic lights have been installed to stop cars from accidentally driving over the rising bollard.

The lane direction changes twice everyday – at 2pm and 9pm. The lane changes at night to have three lanes going towards Valletta during the following morning, and in the afternoon to have two lanes towards Valletta and two towards Paola when most people return home from work.

"We have been monitoring the tidal lane in Sir Paul Boffa Avenue for the past two weeks," the transport authroty said in a statement. "Traffic queues that dragged until Paola Square and Għajn Dwieli before, have been considerably diminished.  Regular commuters in the area are familiar with the system are using it effectively."  

Transport Malta said it will change the transition times in summer to cater for the season’s working hours for employees in the public service.

It added that it will implement further tidal lanes in the future, and that it is currently designing one in Haz-Zebbug.