Two flyovers have recently been opened at the Marsa junction, offering a direct route to and from the airport. The one-level intersection of Marsa, through the investment, is being turned into a multi-level one, the tallest flyover rising above four storeys in surpassing the flyovers below it. The widest of the seven structures will include four vehicle lanes, which will fork into two different flyovers, each with two lanes.

Ian Borg, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, said that three tunnels will be built soon, in addition to the development works on the already existing Kirkop tunnel.

“We believe that work should be done holistically because we believe that the people’s quality of life depends on balanced solutions,” the minister said, adding that the government implements a “blend of solutions” in order to support a “better environment” and “adequate air quality”.

The post Malta invests €64m in road infrastructure so far this year first appeared on The Malta Business Weekly.

Parliamentary Secretary for Planning and the Property Market Chris Agius said that this land transfer represents another favourable investment for the Maltese environment. He also explained, according to the press release, that this project represents one of the many works that the Lands Authority carried out to return the public land to the people of Malta.

“This is a step about the future because our country’s identity is formed by the memory of our historical experiences across the centuries, and our blending with other people and countries,” said Minister for Education and Employment Evarist Bartolo. “This place for researchers will also provide an experience which is open to the public.”

In addition, Mr Bartolo stressed the importance of promoting languages to permit the introduction of new workers who will able to carry out research in the archives, according to the press release.

“The government is committed to continuing constantly raising our country’s standard of living. It was, therefore, my greatest pleasure when, a month ago, together with the Prime Minister and my colleagues, I had the pleasure of announcing the Malta National Park, which will be implemented on 450,000 square metres of public land for the benefit of the people with 50,000 square metres among these available,” said Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg.

The post National Archives receives land for new building first appeared on The Malta Business Weekly.

The project includes the introduction of a new system of culverts connecting to an existing reservoir together with another reservoir that will be built as part of the same project, as well as work towards the regeneration of the village square.

The first phase of the project included a new stormwater culvert system with around 830 metres of pipes which will direct rainwater from the square to a new reservoir that will be built in the second phase and with a capacity of around 11,000 cubic metres, which system will also connect to a number of grilles along the width of the roads in question, Ministry Permanent Secretary Christopher Cutajar said. He added that service cables will be removed from facades in the square and new paving will be installed.

“This is a project that will improve infrastructure in Mqabba, a sustainable project which will embellish this locality while considering the needs of the community. Finally, this project will improve quality of life in Mqabba and that is our primary goal,” Mr Cutajar said.

Upon announcing the completion of the first phase, Ian Borg, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, talked about plans for the regeneration of the village square that he described as an important community meeting space. The minister also praised the cooperation between the government and the local councils, according to the DOI press release.

“We are committed to seeing to improvements on every level in our country. The government is committed to raising the level of our country’s infrastructure – road infrastructure, facility infrastructure and public spaces infrastructure, among others,” Mr Borg said.

Mayor Charlene Muscat tagged the project as an “unprecedented investment in Mqabba”.

The post Mqabba regeneration’s first phase winds up first appeared on The Malta Business Weekly.

“At GO, we believe that the only way to future proof Malta and to be able to handle the phenomenal growth in data, is to invest in a state-of-the-art, fibre-to-the-home network. Simply put, a fibre network delivers data to you at the speed of light. There is nothing faster in science today. GO is the only company in Malta that delivers a true fibre network right up to your living room,” said Nikhil Patil, CEO of GO Plc, when announcing the investment.

Currently more than 85,000 homes in Malta are equipped with true-fibre technology. “We are working around the clock to expedite the rollout of true fibre so that every house and business can benefit from the best technology on the market. We expect at least 100,000 homes, the equivalent of approximately 50% of Malta and Gozo, to be covered by the end of 2019, with full nationwide coverage by 2024,” the CEO added.

“Communications services are the backbone of today’s thriving economy. They underpin every sector, every industry,” Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said when the investment was announced. “Our vision can only be attained if all stakeholders pull the same rope and harness every opportunity to push Malta forward. GO has a long-standing history in its contribution to Malta’s economy. Not only has GO taken these opportunities, but it is now creating opportunities for further growth,” the prime minister added

The post GO to invest €100m in Malta’s digital infrastructure first appeared on The Malta Business Weekly.

The €70m investment aims to upgrade the principal road link to the southern parts of Malta and ease traffic pressure over the Marsa junction — an essential crossing for traffic to and from the airport —, an area of which often sees long queues during the morning and evening peak hours.

According to Mr Borg, the current project is the most substantial investment on any single artery in the Maltese road network, and expectations are high that it will transform how the country looks at infrastructure. Malta has seen an increasing amount of congestions on its roads, chiefly fueled by a quickly expanding economy.

The currently one-level intersection will be turned into a multi-level one, the tallest flyover rising above four storeys in surpassing the flyovers below it. “The widest of the seven structures will include four vehicle lanes, which will fork into two different flyovers, each with two lanes,” the press statement issued by the government’s Department of Information (DOI) says.

In addition to the flyovers, another 12 km of new or reconstructed lanes, grade-separated at three different levels, is expected to create direct northbound and southbound connections.

“This development will eliminate traffic lights waiting times, and related congestion emissions, for over 100,000 road users who travel through this junction every day,” minister Borg says, according to the press statement by the DOI. “This is a project which has been long awaited by the thousands of residents and workers whom every day need to travel to and from the south, and who for years suffered from unbearable traffic congestion and poor air quality. Our country could never continue functioning with an infrastructure which is not coherent in relation to our times and in relation to the demands of our times. An appropriate infrastructure is essential for our country to continue progressing. Less time in traffic quantifies into economic gain for the individual, companies and Maltese and Gozitan families,” the minister says in the press statement.

This third phase will also add over 1.6 kilometres of new footpaths and cycle lanes connecting Marsa and Paola, as well as includes three pedestrian bridges, four new bus laybys, 0.6 kilometres bus lanes and a 380-space park and ride facility.

The first phase of the project started at the end of 2017, with the second phase coming to completion late last year.

The Marsa Junction Project is co-financed through the EU’s Cohesion Fund and Connecting Europe Facility, the press statement notes.

“Our mission is to plan and execute the ongoing optimisation of the road network and other public infrastructure in the Maltese Islands, to ensure they can sustainably and dynamically support the country’s current and future economic, environmental and social development,” Infrastructure Malta says on its official Facebook page.

The post Marsa Junction Project enters phase three first appeared on The Malta Business Weekly.