The next place where traffic is expected to be chaotic is St Andrew’s, where a long-delayed road project will officially start on Monday.

Work on what is known as the Pembroke Junction started a few weeks ago, where excavation work has been carried out without there being need for any diversions.

But a notice post Sunday on the Transport Malta Facebook page says that work on the project will officially start on Monday 21 August and, as such, traffic will be diverted.

Commuters are advised to adhere to the newly placed traffic management signage designed for this project, Transport Malta said.

For those driving out of Pembroke and heading towards Swieqi, the route involves passing through the Pembroke Park and Ride onto Triq Dun G. Farrugia, then rejoining Triq Sant’ Andrija.

Vehicles traveling from St Julian’s to Pembroke should continue straight along Triq Sant’ Andrija. At the roundabout, they should make a turn to enter the village via Triq Suffolk.

Motorists arriving from the Coast Road need to take the first exit at the roundabout junction (Triq il-Prekursur) in order to proceed exclusively towards Pembroke.

It's important to note that traffic flowing out of Pembroke towards St Julian’s will remain unaffected during this period, Transport Malta said.

To minimize any potential inconvenience, Transport Malta will deploy its enforcement team. Additionally, the traffic lights have been reprogrammed to accommodate the ongoing works.

The news of the traffic diversion has led to many negative comments on the Transport Malta page, with drivers asking why didn’t the agency complete the work in other areas before starting this job, and others questioning the timing, given that schools will recommence in September and Pembroke accommodates 12 schools.

The project has been long in the making. Signs affixed to the walls along the road indicate an application for the permit that was submitted in 2019.

Several major road network projects have been carried out by Transport Malta in the past years, leading to traffic chaos in the areas in question. St Andrews and Pembroke are next on the list.