1,400 new trees in the gardens of Dar tal-Kleru

• 08 Oct, 2020 |

Infrastructure Malta is collaborating with the Archdiocese of Malta to regenerate the gardens of Id-Dar tal-Kleru in Birkirkara, reviving a green lung in one of the few remaining unbuilt areas of this locality.

The agency started supporting the regeneration of the 20,000 square metres of green areas surrounding this residence for priests earlier this year by planting 700 cypress trees around their perimeter. These trees are creating a shelterbelt for the rest of the gardens, where Infrastructure Malta is currently planting another 700 trees, including carobs, Judas trees, bay laurel, olives and oaks, as well as fruit tree species such as white and black mulberry, pomegranate, plum, apricot, peach and apple. Before planting these trees, the agency improved the garden’s growing conditions by adding and levelling over 70 truckloads of soil recovered from the sites of its ongoing road projects.

Infrastructure Malta’s architects and landscaping contractors helped the Clergy Home’s administration plan a new layout for these gardens to improve its pathways, making them more accessible to the home’s elderly residents. Parts of the gardens are currently only reachable through steep ramps and uneven paths. Whilst the tree planting is in progress, workers from the Works and Infrastructure Department of the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects are repairing the existing footpaths and forming new ones in other areas of the same gardens. Instead of using slabs, the agency’s contractors are planting over 1,790 rosemary shrubs to delineate the new paths around the trees.

Infrastructure Malta is also installing a new irrigation system for the new trees as well as several outdoor benches in different areas of the garden. With the support of other benefactors, the Home is also incorporating a new rosary garden and an indigenous grove that can eventually be opened for educational school visits. Other parts of the Home’s grounds will continue to be used as a kitchen garden where this community can grow its own herbs and vegetables.

This collaboration between Infrastructure Malta and Id-Dar tal-Kleru was launched following a proposal by David Azzopardi, an environmentalist and a sports educator. He is voluntarily assisting in the regeneration of these gardens, liaising with Infrastructure Malta, with the Home’s administration and other organisations to secure the required resources and push the project forward.

Mgr Anthony Cassar, the Home’s director, said that this project will help improve the quality of life of the residents of Id-Dar tal-Kleru. Whilst thanking Infrastructure Malta and Mr Azzopardi for this initiative, Mgr Cassar said that this coincides with the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laduato Si’ in which he invites all people of good will to care for our common home. He added that this garden will be named Ġnien Laudato Si’. 

Michael Pace Ross, the Administrative Secretary of the Archdiocese of Malta, thanked Ian Borg, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects, and explained that Id-Dar tal-Kleru’s garden could eventually serve for educational purposes, where students can be invited to learn more about indigenous Maltese trees. Mr Pace Ross added that in future it could also offer an opportunity for them to meet elderly priests who have dedicated their life to help so many people in our parishes, and to take heed of Pope Francis’ invitation to young people to reach out to the elderly who may be lonely, whilst observing health guidelines.

Mr Pace Ross encouraged landowners and authorities to protect the few open spaces left in our village cores, which provide much needed oxygen to our communities, and which would have a positive effect on everyone’s health.

Ing. Fredrick Azzopardi, Infrastructure Malta’s CEO, thanked the Clergy Home’s administration and the Archdiocese of Malta for giving the agency the opportunity to invest in the improvement of its gardens. “Birkirkara is one of the most densely populated localities in Malta. These gardens are surrounded by many family homes. Regenerating this green area will give hundreds of families improved air quality and a more pleasant environment outside their homes. This project will also help to eventually make these gardens more accessible to the community, especially when they start hosting school visits. We look forward to strengthening this environmental collaboration with the Church through other similar projects.”

Besides the regeneration of Id-Dar tal-Kleru’s gardens, Infrastructure Malta and the Archdiocese of Malta are working together to plant more trees in other open spaces administered by the Church. 

The new trees in this home’s gardens are among 8,220 trees and 3,870 shrubs that Infrastructure Malta planted in different localities in 2020, as part of its long-term green investment for sustainable infrastructure and improved air quality in the Maltese Islands. Last year, this programme saw the planting of 8,719 trees in 40 locations. The agency’s contractors are continuing to water and care for every tree planted for several years, until they are established in their new environment.

Individuals or organisations who would like to suggest open spaces that Infrastructure Malta can consider for the planting of new trees are encouraged to send their ideas by email on sigar.im@infrastructuremalta.com. 

Lifting new Corradino Bridge into place

• 07 Aug, 2020 |

Infrastructure Malta lifted the new Corradino bridge for pedestrians and cyclists into place on Thursday night.

The bridge spans 25 metres over Dom Mintoff Road, formerly known as Corradino Hill, to create a safer link between Corradino’s residential and industrial areas and the MCAST Campus on one side and the centre of Paola on the other. Currently, to reach these locations, pedestrians, bus commuters and cyclists must cross several arterial roads and walk on narrow footpaths with limited accessibility, alongside moving traffic.

Earlier this year the project contractors started building the bridge abutment structures and access ramps over the road’s high boundary walls. A team of welders fabricated the steel superstructure in a workshop in Italy. It was then shipped to Malta in sections and reassembled in a nearby location last month. 

On Thursday night, workers transported the 16-tonne structure to Dom Mintoff Road, where they used a large telescopic crane to lift and position it on the new abutments. Final works to complete the bridge and all related infrastructure will continue in the next few months.

Infrastructure Malta is planning to complete this €1.6 million project by the end of the year. It will be the third bridge for pedestrians, bus passengers and cyclists that the agency is adding to the Maltese road network in 2020, following the opening of a similar structure in L-Avjazzjoni Avenue, Luqa in June and another one in San Gorg Preca Road, Blata l-Bajda, last month.     

The Dom Mintoff Road bridge will reconnect families living in the Corradino residential area with the central part of Paola. It also opens a quicker and safer route for thousands of students who walk, cycle or use public transport to get to the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) and to the Mariam Al Batool School further up the hill. The bridge will improve access to the Corradino Industrial Zone as well as to the mosque and the church in the same area. 

The access ramp at the Corradino end of this overpass rises from a small plot of disused land between Dom Mintoff Road and Corradino Street, opposite the MCAST Campus. The bridge spans across the road to the Mediterranean Gardens, located at an elevated position several metres above the same thoroughfare.

The bridge’s 3.5-metre deck and its access ramps were purposely designed to be comfortable and accessible to all road users. At the Corradino side, the bridge will also have a lift. As part of this project, Infrastructure Malta is forming a new pedestrian and cycling path in the Mediterranean Gardens area. This passageway will link the bridge to the existing bus laybys in Paola Hill, the road leading to the centre of this locality. The bridge and the new path will include lighting systems and surveillance cameras to ensure the safety and security of commuters.

New Blata l-Bajda bridge is ready

• 04 Jul, 2020 |

Infrastructure Malta opened an innovative, 110-metre bridge for pedestrians, bus passengers and cyclists at Blata l-Bajda for safer commutes between Hamrun, Marsa and Floriana.

This €2 million, EU-funded project is the third multi-million Infrastructure Malta investment in new facilities for alternative modes of travel this year, following the completion of a segregated cycling route between Luqa, Hal Farrug and Qormi in March and the opening of another pedestrian and cycling bridge in L-Avjazzjoni Avenue, connecting Luqa and Gudja, a few weeks ago.   

The new circular girder bridge at Blata l-Bajda rises over San Gorg Preca Road, next to the MUSEUM Society headquarters, to connect Hamrun’s Il-Kbira San Guzepp (St Joseph High) Road with the Spencer Hill and the Menqa areas of Marsa, including the nearby ferry terminals of the Grand Harbour, and the Floriana Park and Ride facilities. It provides a safer and quicker arterial road crossing for pedestrians and cyclists, eliminating the accident risks of the existing pelican crossing.

The overpass also ensures quicker, safer links between the five bus stops (Blata l-Bajda 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) at both side of these busy arterial roads. It improves the commutes of many passengers who use this area to change buses on their way to and from the south of Malta. 

The structure incorporates gently sloping ramps, taking cyclists and pedestrians from Il-Kbira San Guzepp Road, Hamrun, over the southbound carriageway of San Gorg Preca Road towards the other side of the road at Marsa. It also includes passenger lifts and stairs, to ensure it is accessible and comfortable to everyone.    

The agency’s architects designed the geometry of the bridge deck to smoothly link both sides of the road with minimal adverse impacts on the tall trees in adjacent landscaped areas, as well as the surrounding urban landscape. As the bridge rises and turns, commuters crossing it can enjoy the unusual experience of walking or cycling amidst the high canopies of the adjacent trees.

Infrastructure Malta’s contractors started fabricating the 72-tonne steel deck of this bridge during the second half of 2019, in a workshop in Marsa. Meanwhile, at the project site they drilled 21 cores several storeys deep into the ground to cast the concrete piles serving as foundations for the bridge structures. These elements, including abutments, pillars, approach ramps, stairways and elevator shafts were built earlier this year. 

In February, the contractors transported the five steel deck sections, each weighing over 16 tonnes, to the project site, where they lifted and secured them in place atop the concrete pillars and abutments. Once in place, workers started laying the bridge’s decking, using a long-lasting, weatherproof material made of 100% recycled, and recyclable, plastic and wood. They completed the lift installations, lighting, handrails, video surveillance cameras, landscaping and other final works during the last few weeks.  

The Blata l-Bajda pedestrian and cycling overpass is part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union.

Earlier this year Infrastructure Malta announced plans to develop a new subway with improved facilities to replace the old pedestrian underpass connecting four of the most important bus stops of Malta’s public transport network at the Portes des Bombes area of Floriana, a short distance away from the new Blata l-Bajda bridge.

Infrastructure Malta is currently also working on another footbridge in Dom Mintoff Road, to create a safer pedestrian and cycling route between the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST)’s main campus, the residential and industrial zones of Corradino and the centre of Paola. 

Other new facilities encouraging walking and cycling are currently under construction as part of other ongoing Infrastructure Malta road projects, including the Central Link Project at Mriehel, Birkirkara, Balzan and Attard, the Santa Lucija Roundabout Underpass Project and the Marsa Junction Project, between Paola and Marsa.

2200 trees and shrubs in new Benghajsa Grove

• 15 Jun, 2020 |

Infrastructure Malta is completing the planting of over 2,200 indigenous trees and shrubs in a new grove in Bengħajsa, Birżebbuġa. 

This new green lung in southern Malta forms part of Infrastructure Malta’s long-term environmental commitment to plant thousands of trees in different rural and urban public spaces. After planting 8,719 trees in over 40 locations in 2019, this year it has already planted 4,130 new trees and some 3,000 shrubs in several other locations. Following a recent public call for location suggestions, Infrastructure Malta is working to add many more new trees and shrubs in several localities by the end of the year.

The new grove in Benghajsa was formed on a 15,000-metre-squared area of disturbed land, more than twice the size of a football ground, next to the Malta Freeport. Infrastructure Malta’s contractors planted over 300 aleppo pine trees, 350 olive trees, 260 holm oak trees, 220 sandaric gum trees (gharghar), Malta’s national tree, and another 12 species of trees and shrubs such as judas trees, cypresses, carob trees, pomegranate trees, bay laurel and white mulberry trees (cawsli).

Infrastructure Malta is also installing an irrigation system to facilitate the regular watering of these trees. It will continue taking care of the grove for several years, until it is fully established and can be opened to the public. 

The Bengħajsa grove will eventually form part of a larger environmental complex that the Ministry for Tourism and Consumer Protection is gradually developing in adjacent lands. This park will include pathways, benches, picnic areas, camping grounds and other outdoor wellbeing and leisure facilities. The Ministry is planting more trees in other areas of this complex as well.

Infrastructure Malta is supporting the Ministry with several works required to develop the park. During the last few months, the agency formed the tree planting areas by depositing and sifting 55,000 tonnes of soil. The agency used soil it had recovered from several ongoing or recently-completed road projects. As part of its environmental commitment, Infrastructure Malta keeps all soil excavated during its infrastructural projects so that it can reuse it for other afforestation and landscaping projects. It is currently also providing soil for the development of the new Malta National Park, at Ta’ Qali.

Ing. Fredrick Azzopardi, Infrastructure Malta’s Chief Executive Officer explained that through this collaboration between Infrastructure Malta and the Ministry for Tourism and Consumer Protection, within a few years, thousands of families will be able to enjoy this new green area in the south of Malta, on land previously earmarked for industrial use. “Whilst we work to achieve our national objective to develop better quality, sustainable land and sea transport infrastructure, we’re also allocating a substantial share of Infrastructure Malta’s resources to environmental investments such as this new grove in Benghajsa, the Msida Valley Grove completed earlier this year and the upcoming €49.9 million Grand Harbour Clean Air Project. We look forward to working with other government entities, local councils and non-governmental organisations for cleaner air and for many more green spaces in Malta and Gozo.”

Individuals or organisations who would like to suggest public spaces where Infrastructure Malta can plant more trees are encouraged to send their ideas by email on sigar.im@infrastructuremalta.com.

New Zabbar to Marsascala pedestrian and cycling track

• 02 May, 2020 |

Infrastructure Malta is rebuilding Wied il-Ghajn Road and Haz-Zabbar Road to introduce a new segregated pedestrian and cycling track between Zabbar and Marsascala.  

This €2 million two-phase project will start with the reconstruction of the two roads’ carriageways, which will retain their two-lane configuration but will be redesigned with a narrower footprint and a safer alignment. This layout will free up space for the second stage of the project, including the new pedestrian and cycling path, safer bus lay-bys and 2,000 metres squared of new landscaped areas with new trees and other plants.

The two existing roads, also known as the old Marsascala Bypass, currently have no adequate facilities for pedestrians, bus commuters and cyclists. During the second phase of this reconstruction project, Infrastructure Malta will build a new pedestrian and cycling track physically separated from car lanes with concrete kerbs and new landscaped areas. The mature trees along one side of Wied il-Ghajn Road will be retained and incorporated in this landscaped strip. Most of this infrastructure will be built within the roads’ existing footprint, except for small sections of the new cycling track which must be built on adjacent agricultural land.

The asphalt-surfaced, bi-directional footpath and cycle lane will extend over one kilometre along these two roads, to create a safer and quicker alternative transport connection between the two localities. It will be the fourth pedestrian and cycling track of its kind in Malta. The first one was built along L-Ahhar Hbit mit-Torok Road, between Zabbar and Zejtun, in 2019. Another segregated pedestrian and cycling track opened earlier this year in Hal Qormi Road and San Tumas Road, between Luqa and Qormi. Infrastructure Malta is currently also building a four-kilometre segregated cycling route connecting Mriehel, Birkirkara, Balzan, Attard and Ta’ Qali, as part of the Central Link Project.

The project also includes the reinforcement of the underground distribution networks beneath the surface of the two roads, new stormwater catchments and a new street lighting system illuminating the carriageway and the pedestrian and cycling track. Where necessary, new boundary walls will be built as well.

The first phase of the project is scheduled to commence in the coming weeks. The second phase will be ready in January 2021.

Ing. Fredrick Azzopardi, Infrastructure Malta’s Chief Executive Officer, explained that through this project, the wide carriageway of an old road is being repurposed to introduce new facilities for more sustainable modes of travel. “Where possible, we’re seeking to maximise available spaces on our roads to create safer infrastructure for pedestrians, bus passengers and cyclists. As we gradually introduce more of these connections, we’re encouraging our communities to consider walking, cycling or public transport, as a more affordable, eco-friendly alternative to private cars,” Ing. Azzopardi said.      
 

3123 new trees in Q1 2020

• 16 Apr, 2020 |

Infrastructure Malta planted 3,123 trees in 40 locations in Malta during the first quarter of 2020.

Since it launched its nationwide tree-planting programme in 2019, the agency has now introduced over 11,800 indigenous trees in 80 different roadside strips and other urban and rural areas in Malta. Infrastructure Malta aims to extend this initiative in other localities in the coming months to surpass last year’s total of 8,719 trees. In 2019, Infrastructure Malta planted more trees in Malta than any other government, voluntary or private organisation. 

Through this multi-million environmental commitment, the agency also contracted the services required to water and take care of these trees for several years, until they are fully established in their environment. If any of the new trees are damaged or die, Infrastructure Malta will replace them as part of this care agreement.    

Around the trees planted this year, Infrastructure Malta’s arborists and landscaping experts have also planted some 1,800 perennial shrubs, some of which can eventually be trained into trees as well. The quantities, species and sizes of trees and shrubs planted in each location are determined by the arborists, after surveying soil quality and other site-specific conditions, and in line with applicable regulations. 

Many of the new trees planted during the last three months are in landscaping strips and other green zones along existing arterial and secondary roads or new roads being built through the agency’s projects. In February and March, for example, Infrastructure Malta added 84 trees along the newly reconstructed Hal Qormi Road and San Tumas Road, between Qormi and Luqa. Another 196 and 120 trees were added in roadside green areas along T’Alla u Ommu Hill, in Naxxar and L-Imdina Road, Qormi. Other trees were planted in sites indicated by the public in response to the agency’s appeal for suggestions earlier this year. 

When it launched this initiative in summer 2019, the agency also invited local councils, environmental NGOs and other organisations to propose different areas that can be embellished with new trees and shrubs. Through this outreach, Infrastructure Malta is now collaborating with several local councils and voluntary organisations to identify more areas for new trees. In Santa Lucija, this year the agency planted over 1,000 trees in 11 streets. Through similar collaborations, the agency added some 145 trees in Attard and Balzan. Infrastructure Malta is planting another 580 trees in these two localities and in Birkirkara, in and around the arterial road corridor it is upgrading through the Central Link Project.      
 
Infrastructure Malta’s arborists are choosing the trees for each site out of a selection of over 30 indigenous tree species including tamarisk, olives, cypress, European dwarf palms, lentisk, holm oaks, Aleppo pines, myrtle, sandarac gum trees (also known as araar, Malta’s national tree), carobs and other species.   

Ing. Fredrick Azzopardi, Infrastructure Malta’s Chief Executive Officer, thanked the agency’s employees and contractors for their continued effort to improve the environment of Maltese roads and other public spaces. He explained that even when planning new roads, the agency’s architects are optimising available spaces to allocate as much space for landscaping and afforestation as possible. 

“We’re not simply making up for trees that need to be transplanted or removed due to new projects by planting the minimum quantities requested by the environmental authorities. We’re topping up these amounts with hundreds more trees, so that these areas will be greener than before, and our infrastructure will be even more sustainable. We’re also making sure to continue taking care of the new trees and their surroundings for several years. With this commitment, and through the air quality improvements of other investments such as the Marsa Junction Project and the Grand Harbour Clean Air Project, we’re establishing ourselves as the government entity implementing the most beneficial and effective plan for a better environment in Malta,” Ing. Azzopardi added.

Individuals or organisations who would like to suggest public spaces that Infrastructure Malta’s arborists can consider for the planting of new trees are encouraged to send their ideas by email on sigar.im@infrastructuremalta.com.

Marsa Junction Project gets new underpass

• 09 Apr, 2020 |

Joint statement by the Bicycle Advocacy Group and Infrastructure Malta

Infrastructure Malta and the Bicycle Advocacy Group (BAG) are working together to improve the safety and effectiveness of new cycling infrastructure included in ongoing and upcoming road projects. 

As a result of this consultation, Infrastructure Malta is adding a new underpass to the Marsa Junction Project, to facilitate pedestrian and cycling commutes from Tarxien, Paola and Santa Lucija towards Marsa and Qormi, and vice versa. The new 10-metre long tunnel will be opened to cyclists and pedestrians by the end of the year, along with over one kilometre of new cycle lanes that are currently being built as part of the same project.

The Marsa Junction Project includes the redevelopment of the busiest junction of the Maltese road network, along the principal arterial TEN-T network route to southern Malta. Besides a new seven-flyover intersection to eliminate this junction’s old traffic lights and reduce travel times and congestion pollution along this route, this €70 million EU-funded investment is also creating new footpaths and pedestrian bridges, bus lanes, eight bus lay-bys, two park and ride areas and segregated cycling tracks. These facilities will be surrounded with landscaped areas, trees and public art installations.

Through segregated cycling tracks and shared pedestrian and cycling paths, the project will create a safe cycling route from Paola towards the Marsa Sports Grounds area of Marsa, and on towards the racecourse and bus interchange area of Qormi. This route will be extended southwards to Santa Lucija and Tarxien through another 1.8 kilometres of shared pedestrian and cycling paths that Infrastructure Malta is developing through other projects, including the recently completed reconstruction of Hal Luqa Road, Santa Lucija (next to the Chinese Garden of Serenity) and the Santa Lucija Roundabout Underpass Project.  

During meetings with the Marsa Junction Project team, the Bicycle Advocacy Group highlighted the importance of this route between Santa Lucija, Paola and Marsa and pointed out that the planned pedestrian bridge over one of the new roads of this project was not a convenient road crossing for cyclists. After reviewing the project designs, Infrastructure Malta proposed the replacement of the bridge with a 10-metre long, 5-metre wide underpass with a clear line of sight to ensure the safety and security of cyclists and pedestrians. This solution will allow cyclists to travel through the new Marsa Junction area along an uninterrupted path without having to dismount their bicycles to enter enclosed bridge elevators.

Commenting on this development, Matthew Farrugia, BAG’s Policy Officer noted that the latest development in the Marsa Junction Project is a very encouraging step for cyclists who have no other option but to commute through Marsa. “After reviewing the previous designs and pressing on the issue of the lack of connectivity, BAG is pleased to see that these concerns were taken on board and solutions were presented, even at this advanced stage of the project. While noting that there are other minor issues that require attention, BAG is confident that this collaboration with Infrastructure Malta paves the way for improved access for cyclists in the upcoming infrastructural projects and promotes cycling as a feasible means of transportation,” Mr Farrugia said. 

Ing. Fredrick Azzopardi, Infrastructure Malta’s Chief Executive Officer commended the Infrastructure Malta architects and the BAG representatives for working together to identify feasible solutions that can create safer infrastructure for all road users, adding value to this important investment, and to numerous other ongoing and upcoming road projects. 

“The Marsa Junction Project is not the only road project where we’re introducing new infrastructure for commuters choosing more sustainable modes of travel. A few weeks ago, we opened a segregated cycling track along the Qormi to Luqa route through the San Tumas Road and Hal Qormi Road project. We’re also investing millions in projects specifically aimed at alternative means of transport, such as the Blata l-Bajda and Corradino pedestrian and cycling overpasses, the new Portes des Bombes subway for pedestrians and bus passengers in Floriana and the new landing sites for ferry passengers in Cospicua and Sliema. We need to augment this investment in the coming years to ensure increased sustainability and a better quality of life,” Ing. Azzopardi added.         

Infrastructure Malta will keep consulting BAG and other stakeholders to constantly improve the safety, sustainability and efficiency of the Maltese road network and other public infrastructure.  

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

Disused road turned to green area with 459 trees

• 31 Jan, 2020 |

Infrastructure Malta completed the transformation of a disused road in Msida into a green area with 459 new indigenous trees.

This 1,124-square-metre grove was formed on land previously occupied by a wide slip road connecting Regjonali (Regional) Road and Il-Wied tal-Imsida (Msida Valley) Road. This slip road, the site of numerous serious car accidents in the past, was cut off from the network through last summer’s Regjonali Road upgrade. Infrastructure Malta removed the slip road’s asphalt surface and replaced it with over 2,000 tonnes of soil. This soil had been excavated from other road project sites and stored to be reused for such urban greening projects.

The 459 new trees in this new green area were planted towards the end of the year, as part of Infrastructure Malta’s 2019 initiative to plant 8,719 trees in 40 different roadside urban and rural locations in Malta. Infrastructure Malta is continuing to water and take care of these trees for several years, until they are fully established in their new environment.  

Taking into consideration the area’s sheltered location in the lower part of the Msida Valley, the agency’s arborists selected a variety of 12 species of trees for this project. The new grove includes Aleppo pines, holm oaks, southern nettle trees, Italian cypresses, judas trees, Mediterranean buckthorns, dwarf fan palms, common myrtles, lentisks, bay laurels, hawthorns and strawberry trees. The new trees were also chosen to complement some pre-existing holm oaks in an adjacent landscaped area, which will now form part of the same grove.
 
The arborists also noted that this new green area is a few metres away from the Msida Valley Tree Protection Area on the other side of Il-Wied tal-Imsida Road, where some of the oldest roadside trees of the Maltese Islands are located. Through the Regjonali Road Project, Infrastructure Malta installed crash barriers along the side of this part of the road to protect these English oaks from road accidents and to stop cars from abusively parking beneath their crowns. Vehicle parking under these trees was causing soil sealing and damaging their root anchorage abilities, increasing the risk of toppling during strong winds. The agency’s contractors also cleaned the soakaway reservoir that stores rainwater next to these trees, to further support the natural regeneration of this tree protection area.

Commenting on this project, Ing. Fredrick Azzopardi, Infrastructure Malta’s CEO, explained that this new green area shows how Infrastructure Malta’s road planners are doing their utmost to render Malta’s public infrastructure more sustainable. “Our road upgrade projects are creating safer, more comfortable spaces for all road users and residents, not just for car drivers. By tackling congestion and improving road safety, we are also reducing noise and air pollution and other difficulties that impinge on quality of life in our localities. Last year, a scientific analysis of our major road investments, such as the Marsa Junction Project and the Central Link Project, confirmed that they will be reducing 62,000 tonnes of vehicle carbon dioxide emissions every year.” 

Ing. Azzopardi added that “through our unprecedented tree-planting programme we are building on these air quality improvements with the creation of many new green lungs in our communities. During the first month of 2020 we already planted circa 1,000 new trees in Birkirkara, Balzan, Luqa, Qrendi, Rabat, Naxxar and Marsascala. We are liaising with local councils and other organisations to start planting more trees in other localities in the coming months. Last year Infrastructure Malta planted 8,719 trees, probably exceeding the total amount planted in public spaces by all other organisations put together. This year we are working to exceed this figure with even more trees in many other areas.”  

Individuals or organisations who would like to suggest public spaces that Infrastructure Malta’s arborists can consider for the planting of new trees are encouraged to send their ideas by email on sigar.im@infrastructuremalta.com. 
 

Joint statement by ERA and Infrastructure Malta

• 24 Jan, 2020 |

The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) is closely following Infrastructure Malta’s ongoing repair works of sections of the rural road at Wied Qirda, to ensure the protection of this area of high natural importance.
 
Infrastructure Malta confirms that it is collaborating with the Authority in all stages of this infrastructural investment, so that the required works to restore the safety of the indicated road are carefully implemented, using methods that do not endanger the area’s long-term environmental sustainability. Moreover, once the road repair works are completed, it will contribute to the regeneration of this valley with all necessary interventions specified by the same Authority.
 
The Agency clarifies that its works in this part of the road during the last few months were required due to the necessary  replacement of  the pre-existing asphalt surface within the road width, and the structural repair of a short stretch of the same road which had collapsed during various storms. These repairs include the excavation of existing foundations, building of new retaining walls on stronger footings and the replacement of an adjacent road crossing to avoid further storm damages in the future. The road crossing, including a dam formed decades ago, was blocking the natural flow of water in this part of the valley. The Authority and the Agency confirm that its removal can be a way to enhance the valley system and enable the regeneration of this part of the valley to its natural state, whilst reducing the impact of water erosion on the road alongside the valley.
 
The Environment and Resources Authority notes that the Stop and Enforcement Order issued in November 2019 was not meant to stop the works permitted by law to repair the road and render it safe to the public, but to request that it is informed on the methodology of works and to ensure least impact on the environment. The Authority issued this Order to make sure that any other works in this area, if required, are carried out in strict adherence to approved method statements, and that the contractors involved recognise the ecological importance of this area and reduce any negative impacts with appropriate mitigation measures. Moreover, the Order was issued so that plans for any non-urgent works commissioned by the Agency in this area are analysed by its environment protection officers before they are carried out. 
 
The Authority also notes that when the Enforcement Order was issued, it informed the Agency that in another section of the same road, a 70 square metre area of disturbed land outside the pre-existing footprint had been asphalted. Infrastructure Malta’s contractors immediately complied and this asphalt was removed within a few days.
 
In another section of this road, additional road foundation and rubble wall reconstruction works are needed to repair damages caused by a truck that accidentally overturned on the side of the road during the resurfacing works late last year. Whilst these repairs are necessary, they do not constitute a public safety risk. In fact, Infrastructure Malta has not yet carried out these works. The Authority will consider these works together with the rest, to evaluate the intervention in its entirety with method statements and related plans, so that it can propose any additional protective measures. Repair works in this section of the road will commence in the coming weeks, when final method statements are confirmed and approved. 
 
When all road works are completed, the Authority will continue to monitor the area to verify that Infrastructure Malta reinstates the valley to its natural state. In this regard, any reinstatement works required will also be implemented by Infrastructure Malta.
 

New subway concept to connect Floriana’s Bombi bus stops

• 16 Jan, 2020 |

Infrastructure Malta is planning a new subway with improved facilities to replace the old pedestrian underpass connecting four of the most important bus stops of Malta’s public transport network at the Portes des Bombes area of Floriana.

The proposed plans for this project will introduce in Malta a safer and more comfortable concept for this kind of pedestrian infrastructure. It will have a 12-metre wide, naturally-lit walkway, public toilets, an open space that can be used as a café for passengers who change buses in this area, as well as a bicycle parking area. The new subway will provide quicker, direct connections to the four bus stops in this area (Bombi 1, 2, 3 and 4), with pathways, stairs and elevators to be accessible to all. 

Infrastructure Malta’s planning team designed the subway specifically to encourage more pedestrians and bus passengers to use this segregated crossing instead of attempting to cross the six-lane arterial road above, whilst making the existing road-level pedestrian connections accessible to all. This upgrade will eliminate the limitations of the existing links between the four bus stops, which include a narrow pedestrian underpass with long, steep ramps and blind corners, and uncovered stairways that are not suitable for persons with mobility difficulties.

The new subway will not be in the same location as the existing one, which is a distance away from the bus stops, but will be right beneath two of them and next to the other two. In the proposed design, elevators and a short flight of stairs behind the newly installed bus shelters will connect the Bombi 3 westbound bus stop in Nazzjonali (National) Road to the subway beneath. At the other end, the subway will have a wide opening facing L-Indipendenza (Independence) Road, which connects the Sa Maison area of Msida with Nazzjonali Road and Sant’Anna (St Anne) Road through an underpass and four slip roads. 

The northbound Bombi 4 bus stop in L-Indipendenza Road and the eastbound Bombi 2 bus stop in Nazzjonali Road will be connected to the subway through elevators and stairs as well. Bombi 1, the bus stop next to the eastbound L-Indipendenza Road slip road from Msida to Floriana, will be connected to the subway through the existing pedestrian crossing and footpath, which will be rebuilt and improved as part of the project.

The proposed café incorporated in the subway’s public space will provide improved catering facilities to hundreds of bus passengers who stop in this area during their daily commutes, as well as a convenient meeting point in this intersection between many bus routes. 
 
The project will also include the installation of adequate night lighting in the subway and all footpaths leading to it, as well as CCTV systems for increased pedestrian safety. The iconic 1960s vaulted bus shelters in L-Independenza Road (Bombi 4), one of the earliest examples of reinforced concrete structures of their kind in Malta, will be protected and incorporated as part of the project.

Infrastructure Malta has recently submitted the proposed subway plans to the Planning Authority so that they can be published for public consultation in the coming weeks. The agency is now meeting several entities and authorities, including local councils of nearby localities and other stakeholders, to finalise plans and continue the applicable develop permitting process. A public call for offers for the required construction services will be issued in the coming months. 

This new infrastructure forms part of Infrastructure Malta’s commitment to create safer facilities that encourage increased use of alternative, more sustainable modes of travel. A short distance away from the Portes des Bombes area, Infrastructure Malta is currently building a pedestrian overpass to improve the connections between another five bus stops (Blata l-Bajda 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5), the Floriana Park and Ride and several nearby residential and commercial areas in Blata l-Bajda and Hamrun. 

Another pedestrian and cycling overpass is under construction in L-Avjazzjoni (Aviation) Avenue, between Gudja and Luqa, providing safer links between these localities, the Malta International Airport and the Institute of Tourism Studies. Another overpass will soon be built in Dom Mintoff Road, to create a safer pedestrian and cycling route between the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST)’s main campus, the residential and industrial zones of Corradino and the centre of Paola. 

Infrastructure Malta will soon also complete the reconstruction of Hal Qormi Road, which includes a new segregated cycle track connecting Luqa and Hal Farrug. This will be the second segregated cycle track of its kind in Malta, following the opening of an identical one between Zabbar and Zejtun, along L-Ahhar Hbit mit-Torok Road (known as Tac-Cawsli) in 2019. Another two cycle lanes were built along Il-Buqana Road, between Mtarfa and Mosta, and in Hal Luqa Road, in Santa Lucija. Through the ongoing Central Link Project, Infrastructure Malta will build the longest segregated cycle track in Malta, extending over four kilometres between Mriehel, Birkirkara, Balzan, Attard and Ta’ Qali. This project also includes the construction of over ten kilometres of new footpaths and several new bus lay-bys with increased safety for passengers.