Plans for a new Paceville junction are set to be filed with the Planning Authority by Infrastructure Malta next month, The Malta Independent on Sunday has been told.

Infrastructure Malta CEO Ivan Falzon, giving details about the infrastructural projects planned for the main roads catering for Pembroke, Swieqi and St Julian’s, told this newspaper that the roads agency is in a position to file the plans next month.

Pending the project’s approval by the PA, major works on this flyover are envisaged to begin in 2026.

Falzon was speaking to The Malta Independent on Sunday about projects spanning around 1.2 kilometres of roads between the Paceville junction and the Luxol sports grounds in Pembroke.

The latter area has been subject to what is the first phase of a three-step infrastructural improvement drive.

Speaking about the work at St Andrew’s Road, which is currently taking place, Falzon said that it is now nearing completion and the stretch is expected to be open for traffic on both sides in February.

Works are currently focused on the lower part of St Andrew’s Road, with the two hairpin turns, planned for next to the Luxol Grounds, now being complete and open for traffic. A new traffic light system – which has replaced the system at the junction where Jessie’s Bar used to be – is also in operation.

Work on a third hairpin turn set for Professor W. Ganado Road at the entry of Pembroke is still ongoing but is expected to be completed soon. The works at this junction, Falzon explained, will eliminate a cycle of traffic lights, with drivers driving towards the Luxol Grounds wishing to enter Pembroke now directed to the new hairpin turns.

Falzon said that the project has also seen new services passed, the laying of water pipes, rainwater gathering systems and the implementation of walk-through culverts to be used by Enemalta to continue strengthening the distribution of electricity in the area.

The coming days will see continued asphalting, the installation of crash barriers and use of new systems of traffic lights for both vehicles and cyclists and pedestrians.

Local councils had initially been sceptical of the project and whether it could cope with the traffic demands of the area, but asked about whether they still have this scepticism, Falzon said that the local councils are on board with the works.

He said that the local councils initially did not fully understand that the layouts were to strengthen the main road element. He added that when the plans for the whole area were explained to the Swieqi Local Council, the agency found “a complete buy-in” because it will create a proper entry and exit for the locality.

Falzon added that the agency is also aligned with the Pembroke and St Julian’s local councils on the works as well.

Quizzed on feedback, particularly from the cycling NGO Rota, which has consistently spoke about the need for improvements to the way major projects incorporate alternative mobility measures, Falzon said that it’s true that the currently ongoing project does not include cycle lanes but added that the preferred cycle network avoids main roads and, in this case, passes through Pembroke itself.

Falzon noted that it wouldn’t make sense for a main road to be reduced to one lane, and added that it has always been preferable for them to keep active mobility routes away from the main thoroughfares where possible.

He said that the project is not being set out to cater for the demands of the future, but rather to catch up to the demands of the present.

The cycle network will eventually emerge on St Andrew’s Road, but at a point at the Pembroke junction rather than the Luxol Grounds. This will be catered for in the second project for this area, which Falzon also explained in detail to The Malta Independent on Sunday.

This second project, which is currently in the early stages of the PA process, will cater for a shorter, 300m stretch of St Andrew’s Road starting from the traffic light junction, which is used to enter and exit Pembroke, and ending at the top of a small hill which turns from the Paceville junction.

This road currently has two lanes going towards Paceville and one lane going towards Bahar ic-Caghaq, with that one lane frequently being a bottleneck for traffic which is converging from two lanes into one at the traffic light junction.

Falzon explained that Infrastructure Malta’s plans will now see the road widened to two lanes, courtesy of an extension which is built over the fields below the road. Much of this extension will be on fields, which were already earmarked for road expansions, but a chunk of it towards the junction must be approved by environmental authorities.

Falzon said that the agency is still waiting for the terms and conditions for this expansion, but its idea is for this to be cantilevered and supported by either a superstructure or piling – depending what the ERA would require.

The expansion will allow a pavement to be built, which will cater for both pedestrians and cyclists, and also allow specific space for the Swieqi bus stop to be moved away from traffic. Today, this bus stop sees buses stopping in the middle of the road, thereby stopping traffic flows.

Falzon noted that it happens to be a very busy bus stop, which sometimes sees stoppages of three to four minutes.

The project will also see works done to a structural wall, which runs on the side of the northbound lanes driving up to the Coast Road and which holds up Triq l-Gharbiel. Falzon said that this wall today is approximately one metre thick and will be turned into a super-thin superstructure. This will allow for a second lane to eventually be opened on the corner preceding this stretch of road and will also allow for a pavement to be built on Triq l-Gharbiel itself without the loss of any parking spaces.

A new road will also be built between Triq it-Tiben within Swieqi and St Andrew’s Road, thereby creating a new, dedicated exit from Swieqi onto the main road. The road will be built on vacant land, which has been left undeveloped specifically for this purpose, Falzon said.

Falzon said that the project is expected to cost between €3m and €4m, depending on which support method ERA seeks for the extension and will take between six and eight months to complete.

He said that the goal is for it to be finalised by the end of 2025, given that the bulk of major road works are targeted to be done after the back to school period is over, therefore paving the way for works on the Paceville junction to begin in 2026.