Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Minister Ian Borg visited ongoing works on the two main junctions that serve as the entrances and exits to Zebbug.
These are two of the busiest junctions, especially in the peak morning hours, a situation which creates an inconvenience both for road users who use this route daily to get to their place of work, as well as Zebbug residents who find roundabouts on either end of their village suffocated with traffic.
As such, the €0.5 million investment in the upgrade of the route is expected to reduce waiting times. The project includes the redesign and rebuilding of the De Rohan Gate roundabout and the St Dorothy’s School roundabout, where the first of the two will be improved through bypass lanes as a measure to reduce waiting time, while the second will also be improved with increased approach lanes and an improved design. Once the building of the roundabouts is complete, Mdina Road, which connects the two junctions, will be widened to include an additional southbound lane. One of the lanes in Mdina Road and the service road beside it will be transformed into shared lanes which prioritise cyclists with appropriate signage and markings.
Borg explained that the Roads and Infrastructure Directorate’s architects are in discussion with Bicycle Advocacy Group representatives to improve design for bicycle access in one of the two roundabouts, which designs will be implemented as a pilot project for more facilities favouring cycling in other parts of the road network. He said that these new systems form part of the continuous collaboration being established with these representatives, and said that the upcoming weeks will see more work on similar initiatives to reduce the risk of accidents for cyclists while promoting this sustainable means and raising awareness on the respect they deserve from other road users.
“Through measures like these, we can continue to strengthen collaboration between different means of travelling, not only from the infrastructural aspect but also by fostering a culture of road sharing between different means without creating difficulties for each other,” said the Minister. “In Zebbug, and soon in other localities, we are introducing the concept of one lane to be used by different means, with people who travel attentively in order to avoid putting one another in danger.” He explained how architects and road experts are currently working to implement more such solutions, such as through safety systems for cyclists approaching roundabouts and traffic lights systems. He said that while not all solutions used in other countries can be implemented on Maltese roads, work is being done towards the implementation of solutions which could be highly beneficial for those who use this sustainable means of travelling.
Borg stressed that with a little more attention and awareness on the needs of different means, we can achieve improved quality in travelling, especially when this is done together with wise investments in roads and surrounding infrastructure, as is being done in Zebbug, where works which started a few days ago are expected to be completed during summer.
He described the project as one which will continue to improve efficiency and safety in the arterial route from the areas of Mosta, Attard and Rabat towards Zebbug, Qormi, Santa Venera and Marsa. The Minister stressed that the government’s commitment is to improve the quality of life of Maltese and Gozitan people with sensitivity towards the needs of residents in localities where works are ongoing. He expressed how the people of Zebbug have suffered too long from the congestion created in these parts, and therefore, with full consultation with the local council, an agreement on this solution was reached towards an improved quality of life while moving vehicles closer to the main road and away from the residential roads in the heart of this village.
Borg said that this principle is being fostered in the planning of all projects, and the benefits of this change in mentality can already be felt in other localities. He made reference to the works carried out in Qormi last summer, which reduced waiting time by 30%, as well as similar projects in Lija, Mosta, Marsa, Gudja and Luqa, which eased the difficulties of congestion and air pollution through work which addressed bottlenecks that had been plaguing transport for a very long time. The Minister went on to say that work is being intensified again this summer—while more people are on vacation and less are travelling on the roads—towards quality, efficiency and safety in road infrastructure. He said that improvement works in Triq tal-Barrani have already been completed, while an extensive project has begun towards the upgrading of parts of Triq Aldo Moro, Triq Diċembru 13 and the Marsa-Ħamrun Bypass in Marsa, Qormi and Santa Venera, and added that more works are expected to begin shortly in other parts of the country.
He explained how with such small interventions, the situation is improving, but stated that this on its own will not suffice. In fact, he made reference to the government’s holistic work in the transport sector, including the improvement of the public transport service, the initiatives promoting alternative means such as bicycles and motorbikes, and the free school transport scheme for children of all schools, including Church and independent schools, being led by the Ministry for Education and Employment. However, the Minister went on to say, the Government cannot ignore the fact that congestion is a reality, and this also requires infrastructural work to address issues in the design of our roads, such as a number of bottlenecks, which can be improved with minor interventions. This is being done together with more medium and long-term measures such as what is happening in the Marsa Junction Project and what will be done in the Central Link Project.
Borg referred to the conclusion of the important discussion about the setting up of Infrastructure Malta in Parliament a few days ago, with the approval of the law which will be setting it up, and said that in the coming weeks, the agency will be fully operational. He said that while we work to overcome present difficulties, we need to look ahead and also implement works through which we can ensure sustainable and future-proof infrastructure; infrastructure which does not allow tomorrow’s generations to face the same difficulties faced by those who needed to travel within our country in these past years.
“A strong infrastructure is essential for strong transport systems – sustainable work on the roads is the foundation for sustainability in the transport sector; we can only move forward in our travelling if he have the adequate infrastructure to safely welcome alternative and sustainable means while accommodating the country’s residents and all road users”, concluded Minister Borg.