First Central Link road opened

Infrastructure Malta yesterday opened the first new road of the Central Link Project, a twolane westbound carriageway bypassing three traffic light junctions to create a quicker and safer route from Mriehel to the Wied Incita area of Attard. Photo: Infrastructure Malta

Infrastructure Malta yesterday opened the first new road of the Central Link Project, a two-lane westbound carriageway bypassing three traffic light junctions to create a quicker and safer route from Mrieħel to the Wied Incita area of Attard.

Prime Minister Robert Abela and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg attended the official opening.

As the agency opened these westbound lanes, the pre-existing lanes in the same direction in Iż-Żagħfran Road, In-Nutar Zarb Road and part of L-Imdina Road, Attard, are now serving the opposite way, from Ta’ Qali to Mrieħel. Through this modification, Infrastructure Malta is adding a second lane in the eastbound route as well. This new arrangement is eliminating the L-Imdina Road bottleneck at the Ħal Warda area, where two lanes merge into one with houses and other buildings on either side, causing long delays and excessive traffic pollution in the centre of this locality.

Central Link Project is a €55 million investment to reduce travel times, accident risks and congestion pollution along the principal arterial road corridor in central Malta, whilst creating safer spaces for alternative modes of travel in this part of Mrieħel, Birkirkara, Balzan, Attard and Ta’ Qali.

The two new lanes start at the western end of the Mrieħel Bypass, skirt the traffic lights junction next to the Malta Financial Services Authority offices and the T-Junction between L-Imdina Road and De Paule Avenue (San Anton Gardens area), as well as the centre of Attard, before merging with L-Imdina Road again in the Wied Incita area (near Mount Carmel Hospital). Along the way, the new lanes also bypass another traffic-lights-controlled junction in the centre of Attard. As a result, Infrastructure Malta switched off all the old traffic lights in this westbound route between Mrieħel and Attard. The turnings previously controlled by these traffic lights are now connected through dedicated lanes for increased road safety. At the same time, the remaining traffic lights in the opposite direction can now be operated with increased efficiency, to continue reducing travel times.

Beneath the new westbound road, Infrastructure Malta installed 10 kilometres of new underground networks, including water pipelines, sewers, electricity cables and street lighting and Internet cable ducts. It also built a stormwater catchment system and connected it to the region’s flood relief underground tunnels nearby. Workers used 4,100 tonnes of asphalt to lay the surface of these 4.4 kilometres of new lanes. Eventually, when all the project works are ready, Infrastructure Malta will reinforce this new road with a final layer of polymer modified asphalt, a stronger material that lasts longer and is more resistant to temperature variations. The agency introduced this type of heavy-duty asphalt in Malta’s arterial roads earlier this year.

When the project is ready, the new two-lane westbound arterial road will be extended all the way to Ta’ Qali, to merge with the roundabout at the foot of Saqqajja Hill. As it builds more new lanes forming part of this project, Infrastructure Malta will eventually also upgrade the eastbound route and remove the remaining traffic lights in these lanes as well (Ta’ Qali to Mrieħel).

The government says the project will halve travel times in this area and drastically reduce congestion pollution in nearby residential areas by reconstructing 13 junctions, removing four traffic lights systems and adding over seven kilometres of new lanes along a 4.3-kilometre road corridor.

Besides the new cycling and walking track, the project also introduces other facilities for alternative modes of travel, including 10 kilometres of safe pedestrian footpaths, segregated crossings and bus lay-bys. Infrastructure Malta will also develop over 24,000 square metres of new landscaped areas along the project route.

It says that, by eliminating existing bottlenecks and congested junctions, this investment will lead to major air quality improvements in several nearby residential areas in Mrieħel, Birkirkara, Balzan and Attard.