Valletta residents discontented with traffic management

Addressing a protest held on the road that runs over City Gate today Manuel Mallia said that residents would have to enter Valletta through St Mark’s Street and take an inconvenient route through a number of narrow roads to get to Hastings, making residents “prisoners in the City.”

Mallia called on Transport Malta, the government and the local council to re-examine proposed routes to make use of South Street, to avoid the said inconvenience.

As a resident of the area Mallia said that the ageing residents of Hasting are concerned about access to Hastings for emergency services that have to pass through a number of narrow roads. The bottleneck traffic near the Phoenicia Hotel is also of concern as the extra time taken could cost citizens their life. 

Pope Pius V road, which runs over City Gate, will be demolished on 2 May.

Vehicular traffic is to be rerouted as from the 1 May. The main entrance to Valletta is now to be rerouted to St Paul's street, for vehicles commuting to Vjal Glormu Cassar; and St Mark's street to commute through Great Siege (ring) road.

For City Gate and Hastings residents, additional traffic management arrangements are being introduced through St Mark's, Old Bakery, St John's, Melita, Strait, St Biagio and South streets.

To compliment access points, additional traffic measures are being implemented. Traffic flow along Archbishop's street is being changed, with access permitted from Merchants' street. Triq il-Lanca becomes one-way in the direction of Victoria Gate, and access to Jews' Sally port from lower Old Bakery Street will still be permitted. New exit points are being created through Mattia Preti square.