Work on the first phase of the Msida Creek project is expected to begin next month and completed by 2027, journalists were told on Monday.

Infrastructure Malta (IM) CEO Steve Ellul said that the first phase of the project will see work on the Msida shore.

The road connecting the Ta' Xbiex area to Pieta will be constructed while preparations will start for the creation of a temporary carriageway on Mikiel Anton Vassalli Street. A new quay will also be built on the waterfront.

Ellul said measures will be taken to ensure that the impact on the flow of the traffic while the project is taking place to be as minimal as possible. No traffic that currently uses the Msida area will be diverted to other junctions. Around 50,000 cars pass through Msida on a daily basis.

Giving more details on the overall project, Ellul said the current plans were "radically" redesigned from the initial proposals following consultation with residents and the council.

The flyover, about 200 metres long and with sound barriers, will replace the traffic light junction. It will directly connect Triq il-Marina to Triq Mikiel Anton Vassalli (Regional Road).

60% of this project will be dedicated to public spaces, which include the new public garden, which will span 19,375sq.m, the size of three football grounds.

The project will see an increase of more than 8,000m² in open spaces and green areas. An additional 214 mature trees will be planted, a 50% increase over the current number, along with 17,000 shrubs.

A 2,200sq.m square will be created in front of the Msida church, along with a 300-metre-long water channel as part of a plan to prevent flooding. The channel will be surrounded by pathways accessible to the public.

The project includes the design and reconstruction of the traffic light junction connecting Triq il-Marina, Triq il-Wied tal-Imsida, and Triq Mikiel Anton Vassalli, as well as the strengthening of several nearby junctions that provide access to and from Gżira, Sliema, and Ta' Xbiex.

The agency is planning to build wider pavements, eventually linking Pietà to Ta' Xbiex and Valley Road. The project will introduce 1.6km of cycling and walking paths.

A new two-storey car park with 115 spaces will also be built. It will also include an underground rainwater collection system to address the long-standing flooding issue.

Ellul explained that for the first time in a major infrastructural project, the contractor employed for the project will be tied for 10 years. This is the agency's long-term commitment towards efficiency, safety and sustainability of road infrastructure, Ellul said.

Asked about the local council's opposition to the project, Ellul said that one has to keep in mind that consultation over the project began around four years ago, and the council at the time had approved it. The council now has a Nationalist majority, as against the previous term which had seen the Labour Party running the locality.

"One has to be aware on the number of cars which pass through that area every day. The project will lead to less emissions and less sound pollution. The project has changed radically from when it was first proposed," he said.

Ellul said there is agreement with the Chamber of Architects on a number of principles.

"We both agree on open spaces, which the project caters for, and the need to reduce traffic in the area. I feel the projects strikes a balance between such needs and the reality of the area," he said.

The canal which forms part of the project was being designed to stop rain water flooding, will form part of the creek, and the sea will flow into the canal, which means that it will never empty from water.

Journalists were told that the infrastructure caters for a rise in sea and water levels during extraordinary weather conditions, meaning it will not overflow onto the road.