An application for a footbridge in Birkirkara valley has been suspended by Infrastructure Malta.

The imposing 10 metre footbridge was planned to replace the current pelican lights across from the McDonalds take-away outlet on Valley Road in Birkirkara.

Equipped with eight-person capacity lifts for cyclists and people impaired mobility, Infrastructure Malta had claimed that the bridge will facilitate pedestrian crossings while also hinting that it was being planned in order to also avoid the traffic congestion caused by the traffic lights which exist currently.

The project however drew objections, with the Birkirkara local council, following a motion filed by PN councillor Justin Schembri, asking for a public discussion on the project.

The suspension of the application was described as a win for the conservation of Birkirkara’s urban centre by the PN’s councillors in a statement on Tuesday.

They said that it was evident that Infrastructure Malta was going against the Central Malta Plan by not observing that Valley Road is an Urban Conservation area, a primary town centre, and a zone which needs better management in order to reduce traffic.

They said that the project does not consider these points, and does not respect the characteristics of the locality in terms of its style, design, and size and also from the socio-economic, architectural, and cultural aspects.

The councillors noted that the competent authorities should be supporting initiatives from public agencies and the private sector which can contribute to improving the town’s external environment and introducing schemes which make it a zone with more people than cars.

The statement was signed by five PN councillors: minority leader Justin Schembri, Antoine Attard, John Mizzi, Francis Pullicino, and Marie-Claire Zammit.