The Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects is carrying out works through Transport Malta, towards adding three new lanes in Aviation Road, improving access from the Kirkop tunnel, Gudja Bypass, and Luqa.
Access when travelling to the Malta International Airport will also be improved through this project, the ministry said
The roundabout connecting Luqa to Gudja, the Malta International Airport, the Ħal Far road and the Kirkop tunnel, is one of the most congested connections in Maltese infrastructure. Every morning, around 4,000 vehicles an hour pass through this junction, with the majority comprised of persons coming from the localities of Gudja, Kirkop, Imqabba, Qrendi, Safi and Żurrieq, in order to get onto Aviation Road so that they may reach other central localities. The same volume of traffic passes through this roundabout late in the afternoon, when several drivers are making their commute back home from work.
Transport Malta has started works towards creating new lanes in order to improve access through this roundabout. The major change here is going to be a bypass lane which will take vehicles coming from the Kirkop tunnel straight to Aviation Road towards Luqa without need to access the roundabout. Around one third of vehicles passing from this roundabout come from Kirkop and other localities in the area, in the direction of Luqa.
Meanwhile, another new bypass lane taking vehicles from Luqa straight to the Gudja Bypass without passing through the roundabout is also being created. The third new lane is being opened to take vehicles from the Gudja Bypass to the airport, improving access to the airport for vehicles coming from Gudja, Għaxaq, Paola, Tarxien, and other localities in the vicinity. These works began some days ago and are expected to conclude by the end of summer.
Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, Ian Borg, described this project as another step forward in improving quality of life for those who depend on these major arteries on a daily basis.
“This is not the only project we are working on. We will soon be completing work which we started earlier this month in Lija. We have also announced similar projects for the improvement of our roads in Attard, Birżebbuġa, Żurrieq, St Paul’s Bay, Birgu, Rabat, and Marsa, to name a few.”
“Time and time again, we have heard of time lost in traffic being quantified as costly as well as being a detriment to our economy. I also consider the social aspect – we do not take pleasure in finding difficulty to reach our destination, and we do not enjoy wasting our time stuck in traffic instead of spending it with our family and friends. Projects similar to this one will not solve the challenges posed by traffic overnight, but every minute spared means an extra minute towards a better economic and social life for each and every one of us. We will carry on working on projects of different levels, from minor interventions to major capital investments which take longer to complete, so that we can achieve a road network which serves us better,” concluded Dr Borg.