Traffic chaos as car fire brings Marsa-Ħamrun bypass to standstill

Motorists faced significant delays along the Marsa-Ħamrun bypass on Monday morning after a car caught fire, resulting in gridlock that lasted for hours.

Transport Malta confirmed that the incident was reported at 5 am, when a car burst into flames, forcing the closure of a section of the busy bypass. By 9am, four hours after the fire had been extinguished, one lane remained shut to traffic.

Firefighters from the Civil Protection Department were also called on site, with HAZMAT units also dispatched due to the amount of fuel and oil that was dispersed along the road.

In a statement, Transport Malta reassured drivers that the road would be fully reopened once authorities could guarantee there was no remaining risk to motorists. “Once it is certain that there is no danger left for drivers passing through this area, the road will be fully reopened to traffic,” the agency said.

According to reports from the popular Facebook page Maltese Roads Traffic Updates, traffic began to build at around 7 am, with drivers also being warned of an oil spill in the Northbound lane, further complicating the situation for commuters.