SportMalta not advised Santa Lu`ija tunnels project would affect running track

SportMalta was only informed that the Santa Luċija running track would be affected by the tunnels project after the plans had been made public, it says.

Pictures have flooded social media of trees being axed around the Santa Luċija running track. The tunnel project will also see the redesign and reconstruction of the track, just two years after it was renovated and upgraded with an open-air gym.

Back in May 2017, the government, alongside SportMalta and the Santa Luċija Local Council, inaugurated the new jogging track and an upgraded open-air gym, with numerous personalities attending the inauguration. Among the locality’s local council members was then-Parliamentary Secretary for Youth, Sport and Voluntary Organisations Chris Agius, along with chairman of the Consultative Committee for the South of Malta Silvio Parnis and chairman of SportMalta Luciano Busuttil. The project to upgrade the track came at a cost of €90,000.

This newsroom contacted SportMalta chairman Luciano Busuttil about the project and whether SportMalta was aware that just five months after the inauguration, the Planning Authority was to submit plans for approval for the €20 million tunnels project.

“We were not aware of the project before the renovation of the track, but we were informed afterwards, once plans were finalised,” explained Busuttil. He said that the jogging track would be renovated and that residents would have a running track once more. “There is going to be development for the new roads, but I do not want this development to take away the sporting element introduced to this locality. The track is a great initiative and that is why we originally renovated the track.”

When asked for his opinion on the fact that the jogging track was set to be redesigned just two years after its renovation, he answered: “If I had known that there were plans to remove the track before we renovated it, I would have asked them the renovations should be carried out.” He added that plans for the Santa Luċija tunnel project had been made public after the 2017 elections, while the renovations took place before the elections. “I hope that the quality of the track will be better, and I will push for better sports infrastructure in Malta.”

A press release sent by Infrastructure Malta said that the project would be “improving the safety and efficiency of the principal route to several localities in the southern part of Malta.” The project also includes the redesign and reconstruction of the jogging track, the upgrading of the Tal-Barrani Road pedestrian subway, as well as a new cycle lane connecting Santa Luċija to Marsa.

This newsroom also sent questions to the Parliamentary Secretary for Sports, Youth and Voluntary Organisations, but no reply was received by the time of going to print.