By the end of this year, Infrastructure Malta will start a major upgrade of Triq Buqana, the distributor road linking Mtarfa to Mosta and Mgarr, to introduce an additional northbound lane and a new 1.8 kilometre segregated cycle track, the agency said in a statement.

The agency issued a call for offers for the contracting of the civil works required for this project, which include the building of the new infrastructure and the resurfacing of the existing lanes. The project will introduce new infrastructure to encourage increased use of alternative modes of transportation, whilst reducing travelling times along this main road link to the northern part of the country, and to Gozo.

The existing road includes two lanes for vehicular traffic, one in each direction, and a combined footpath and cycle lane in the southbound direction. Through this project, the road will be widened to include a second northbound lane, from Mtarfa towards Mosta, and a new segregated cycle track in the same direction. At the same time, the two roundabouts at the two ends of this stretch of road will be rebuilt and re-aligned, to increase capacity and reduce accident risks.

At the southern end of the road, the roundabout will be upgraded with a third lane. It will also have new cycle priority lanes to help cyclists ride around this junction safely. A similar cycle-priority system will be adopted in the roundabout at the other end, linking Triq Buqana with Mosta and Mgarr. This roundabout will also be upgraded with three new bypass lanes. The first one will get road users from Triq Buqana’s new northbound lane directly to Triq Sir Temi Zammit, in Mgarr. The second bypass lane will link Triq Sir Temi Zammit’s northbound lane to Triq ta’ Zejfa (Zokrija area) in Mosta, whilst the third one will connect Triq San Pawl tal-Qliegħa (Sriedek area) towards Triq Buqana’s southbound lane.

Infrastructure Malta will also be upgrading several underground electricity, water, sewage, telecommunications and storm water networks buried beneath the road surface, in collaboration with the utilities and telecommunications service providers.

All works are planned to be carried out in phases, starting later this year to be ready within eight months. This project may be co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund, under Operational Programme I (2014-2020).