The Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects welcomes the Planning Authority’s decision to approve Infrastructure Malta’s project towards the building of two tunnels beneath the Santa Luċija roundabout.

This project will result in around a 30% reduction in travelling time and a lower risk of accidents for thousands of people who travel to and from the south of the country every day, as well as improved access for Santa Luċija, Tarxien and Paola residents. The drastic reduction of traffic congestion at this roundabout also means improved air quality for localities in the area.

The Ministry said the Planning Authority has asked Infrastructure Malta to implement several precautionary measures to ensure that while the project is being implemented, the environment of the area is fully protected. Among others, measures safeguarding the area’s residents and others protecting natural heritage were requested.

Following the approval of the necessary development permits for this project, Infrastructure Malta is expected to begin the necessary works in Triq tal-Barrani and Vjal Santa Luċija before the end of this year. The call for tenders for necessary contractors for this project was issued earlier this year. The evaluation process of the six offers submitted with a median value of €19.8 million, to choose the project contractor, is expected to conclude soon.

 

The project started being planned in the last quarter of last year, on the request of the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, to continue easing traveling difficulties for residents and workers in several localities in the south of Malta. The investment in this main junction in the Maltese road network includes the redesign of the roundabout to improve safety and the building of two tunnels of around 100 metres each to directly link Vjal Santa Luċija with Triq tal-Barrani. In this way, when passing from Vjal Santa Luċija to Triq tal-Barrani or vice versa, there will be no need to enter the roundabout, with the possibility of passing through the tunnels without stopping.

This roundabout is also one of the main access points to Santa Luċija, Tarxien, and Paola. Following completion of the new tunnels, difficulties for residents to enter or exit their home in these localities will also be reduced as the roundabout will be designed to reduce the risk of accidents, while also being used much less.

The project also includes the development, replacement and strengthening of several distribution services for water, electricity and telecommunication which are currently underground in these roads.

Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg thanked the architects and technical experts who are working to plan the implementation of this project, which will lead to improved quality of life and less air pollution for all those who live in or travel to and from the south of Malta. He stressed the importance of continuous evaluation of each project and said that, “this new way in which we are planning projects, with evaluation that does not stop at the planning stage but rather continued evaluation of how we can better benefit from investment, is leading to the possibility of widening the benefits of projects of all sizes, as is happening in this case of Santa Luċija. In this way, not only are we positively affecting the thousands of drivers who use these main junctions every day, but also the residents of nearby localities, who can travel from their homes in a safer and more efficient way. At the end of the day, our main goal is to improve the standard of living of all Maltese and Gozitan people and I feel that projects like these are helping us to reach this aim.”

The project towards the rebuilding of the Santa Luċija roundabout and the development of two tunnels underneath, forms part of the unprecedented investment of the Ministry as part of the Government’s commitment to make a great leap forward in the quality of the country’s transport infrastructure. The investment connects with other projects currently being implemented, including the building of seven flyovers to replace the traffic lights near the Addolorata Cemetery in Triq Aldo Moro between Marsa and Paola, the Marsa-Ħamrun bypass widening project, the improvement of parts of Triq Diċembru 13 and part of Triq Aldo Moro in the area of the match factory, and the rebuilding of several other arterial roads, such as Triq il-Wied in Balzan and Triq Bormla between Żabbar and Żejtun. Other projects, such as the Central Link Project between Mrieħel, Birkirkara, Balzan, and Attard, Triq Buqana between Mtarfa and Mosta, and Triq Ħal Luqa in Santa Luċija will soon begin as well. More projects towards the improvement of arterial and residential roads in Malta and Gozo are expected to be announced shortly. 

FAA appalled by PA's and TM's short-sighted decisions

The FAA has said that the Santa Lucija roundabout will result in the destruction of an existing 1km stretch of mature trees and the loss of agricultural land to widen traffic carriage-ways for private transit. The FAA said the project also excludes adequate bicycle lanes and pedestrianised paths.

"The unsustainability of this decision is proven by National Transport Strategy 2050 issued by Transport Malta itself, which says that; 'The trends of increasing car ownership and the inability for supply to continue meeting travel demands by private transport at its growing rate, is resulting in ever increasing levels of congestion. Experience has shown that such trends only contribute to a transportation system whose future growth is unsustainable.'

"Authorities are taking decisions with total disregard for the plans and policies aimed at supporting sustainable development that they themselves have put in place."

In August,  the ERA had claimed "that environmental impacts from the development are unlikely to be significant" then recommended that an "Environmental Impact Assessment is not required."

FAA questions how the Authority responsible for the protection of our environment can deem such an "unsustainable damaging application as one to have little impact?"

"Our institutions are failing us by simply encouraging further car-use and placing the burden of dealing with the inevitable build-up of road congestion on future generations."