Last Updated on Sunday, 15 November, 2020 at 10:28 am by Andre Camilleri
All of the seven flyovers of the Marsa Junction Project are now open to road users, facilitating direct, uninterrupted connections between the major routes converging at the busiest intersection of the Maltese road network.
On Saturday morning, Infrastructure Malta reopened the three flyovers completed in 2019 in the northbound direction, after they had been used in contraflow as a temporary southbound diversion route during the last 14 months. This week the project contractors completed the final works of these structures, including the topmost asphalt layer and expansion joints, which could not be carried out whilst they were still required in the southbound direction.
These three flyovers are now forming direct, two-lane connections from the northbound carriageway of Santa Lucija Avenue and the northbound carriageway of Giuseppe Garibaldi Road (Luqa) towards Aldo Moro Road, Marsa, in the direction of Santa Venera, Qormi, Hamrun, Valletta and other localities in central Malta.
Last month, Infrastructure Malta opened the three flyovers beneath them, at this new grade-separated junction’s intermediate level. These flyover structures are serving the opposite direction to connect Aldo Moro Road’s southbound carriageway with Santa Lucija Avenue and Garibaldi Road, towards Santa Lucija, Tarxien, Luqa, Gudja and other destinations in the south of Malta. The agency has recently also opened the seventh flyover structure of this project, which links the northbound carriageway of Santa Lucija Avenue with new lanes to the Addolorata Cemetery and a new park and ride that is still under construction and with Il-Gvern Lokali Road, towards Qormi (Turkish Cemetery area).
Workers are now focusing on the last stretch of this project’s new lanes, which will connect the southbound carriageway of Aldo Moro Road with Sir Paul Boffa Avenue, towards Corradino, Paola and Cottonera. This final link of the new multi-level junction will be ready by the end of the year. Infrastructure Malta opened the northbound connection between these two roads, including two lanes at ground level, beneath the flyovers, last summer.
The project’s new footpaths and pedestrian bridges, bus lanes, bus lay-bys, park and ride areas and segregated cycling tracks are in their final stages as well. The new walking and cycling track connecting Paola, Tarxien and Santa Lucija with the Marsa Sports Grounds area of Marsa will be open within a few weeks.
Around these new connections, Infrastructure Malta is forming new landscaped areas with hundreds of new trees and four monumental public art installations. It is building underground reservoirs to harvest more than 1.5 million litres of rainwater for the irrigation of these new green areas. The project contractors are also laying 13 kilometres of underground networks, including water mains, sewers, walk-through culverts for electricity cables, Internet and other telecommunication cable ducts and stormwater pipelines.
The €70 million Marsa Junction Project is co-financed through the European Union’s Cohesion Fund and the Connecting Europe Facility. It includes a new multi-level intersection to replace the old Addolorata traffic lights system with 12 kilometres of uninterrupted lanes, grade-separated at three levels, creating direct connections between the arterial roads merging at this network node. It is ending traffic lights waiting times along this principal route to southern Malta, whilst reducing congestion emissions in Marsa and other nearby localities.
For more information or for assistance, visit www.infrastructuremalta.com or contact Infrastructure Malta on 2334 1000, info.im@infrastructuremalta.com or via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
