Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1356256
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 28 MARCH 2021 NEWS Council told to involve public over Birkirkara footbridge JAMES DEBONO THE Birkirkara local council will discuss an imposing 10m-high pedestrian bridge on Valley Road that will replace traffic lights opposite the McDonalds outlet. Minority leader Justin Schem- bri (PN) has asked the council for a public meeting on 5 April following a motion filed PN councillor and minority leader Justin Schembri. In his motion to be discussed on 5 April, Schembri called on the council to organise a public meeting in which all interested parties are invited to provide information on this project. The motion asks the coun- cil to register as an interested party in planning proceedings, obliging it provide residents and NGOs with the full infor- mation and studies related to the proposed bridge. "In this way the bridge will only be built if it is done in the interest of residents, the general public and in respect of Birkirkara's cultural authenticity." The footbridge will replace the existing pelican lights across the McDonalds restau- rant on Valley Road in Birkir- kara, in a project proposed by Infrastructure Malta. Equipped with eight-person capacity lifts for cyclists and people with impaired mobility, IM claims the bridge will fa- cilitate pedestrian crossings at Valley Road. At present, pedestrians cross- ing from Triq il-Knisja l-Qa- dima must go down a ramp or use a small flight of stairs. Pe- destrians walking towards the centre of the town must use the stairs or ramps connecting Valley Road with Qrejzu Street. An IM spokesperson also hint- ed that the decision is linked to increased waiting times at the traffic lights, triggered by an increase in area traffic. "During recent studies, many pedes- trians were observed ignoring the pelican lights and crossing on red," the spokesperson told MaltaToday. IM claims the congestion caused by these pelican lights contributes to increased air pollution in the heart of Birkir- kara, while on days of heavy rainfall the low-lying road is frequently flooded at the peli- can lights crossing, leaving pe- destrians stranded. The bridge is meant to "ease access" to the southbound 'Suq' bus lay-by, one of the busiest stops of the public transport network in this area. The safe crossing will be a quicker route for pedestrians, and maximise the pit The proposed footbridge at this crossroads will maximise the potential of different lev- els between the intersecting streets to create a safer seg- regated road crossing and a quicker route for pedestrians. The PA's advisory panel on design issues has yet to pro- nounce itself on the visual im- pact of the imposing structure and has asked IM for photo- montages on the streetscape. A similar footbridge is being proposed by IM for its Msida Creek flyover project, which has been objected to by NGOs and cyclists who claim it will impair mobility. A resident who presented ob- jections to the project warned that the development will be taking a significant amount of space from the area next to the fountain which is frequented by several elderly who congre- gate there every day. JAMES DEBONO ROADWORKS are protruding into fields outside the development zones in Ħaż-Żabbar, in an ongoing project Infra- structure Malta claims will divert traffic from the town centre. But the works are resulting in the take- up of agricultural land along Triq Alessio Erardi and Triq Bieb is-Sultan, with res- idents complaining about the complete lack of consultation and the absence of any planning permits for the works. The roadworks along a 500m stretch of roads, starting from Triq il-Bahri- ja through Triq Alessio Erardi and Triq Bieb is-Sultan in the direction of the No- tre Dame Gate, protrude on the most sce- nic parts of the locality. "We are very concerned because nobody was consulted, no permits were ever at- tached, and all of a sudden we woke up to see engines demolishing the fields. What was once a quiet area is being turned in to a two-way road," a group of residents told MaltaToday. Residents are concerned these road- works will not only take up agricultural land but will increase pressures for ODZ development along the road being wid- ened. Only a few weeks ago, the PA ap- proved the redevelopment of a country- side ruin into a villa with swimming pool, along Triq is-Saħħara – on the other side of the road earmarked for widening. IM has confirmed with MaltaToday that it is still discussing compensation with field owners, despite the commencement of the works. It is also insisting that no permit is required because the road was already schemed in the local plans. "In line with applicable legislation, no plan- ning permits are required for roads al- ready schemed in the Local Plan." A legal notice exempts government agencies from applying for permits for "roads and pavements within a planning scheme." But residents in Triq Alessio Erardi are incensed by IM's insistence to carry out the works without a planning permit, lamenting that they had no opportunity of voicing their concerns. "It is irrational to conduct works addressing present-day realities, based on decisions taken dec- ades ago. In fact consultation on local plans took place in 2005," one resident told MaltaToday. IM says that while the roadworks pro- trude outside the development zone, it necessitates the take-up of strips of land next to the existing streets, which had been earmarked for the construction of the same streets for decades. No other widening will take place, IM told Malta- Today. IM also claims the soil excavated during these works will be used to improve con- ditions of adjacent fields, in agreement with the farmers who till them, "or else reserved for Infrastructure Malta's up- coming afforestation projects". IM's justification is that while providing increased connectivity to residents, the road-widening project will alleviate cir- culation difficulties in the centre of Żab- bar, providing an alternative route to Sta Duminka Street, a very narrow street that serves as one of the few exits from this lo- cality. According to IM parts of Triq Bieb is-Sultan Street, and Triq Alessio Erardi Street do not even have footpaths. But residents are taken aback by the suggestion that, to divert a problem in part of the locality, another one is be- ing created next to their own homes. "It does not make sense to reduce traffic in one part of the town only to increase it in another part and at the cost of sacrificing more agricultural land." According to IM the works along Ales- sio Erardi street are part of a wider pro- ject in the locality which will include new underground networks, new street light- ings, new footpaths, stronger carriageway foundations and new asphalt surfaces. Zabbar fields under threat of IM roadworks