Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545856
4 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 15 JULY 2026 NEWS CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 The site which lies on the slope between two roads, is lo- cated very close to the Xemxija roundabout, identified in the Transport Impact Assessment as Junction A. The Planning Authority has already paved the way for the project by approving a zoning application that expands the area where a mix of residential and commercial development may be allowed. The change in- corporated most of a villa-des- ignated site into the mixed-use site. The Xemxija junction links Telgħet Ix-Xemxija, Triq Il-Mistra and Triq Raddet Ir-Roti, and is one of the two main nodes assessed for the project's impact on traffic flows. The assessment carried out by Adi Associates Environmental Consultants and released in May 2026, warns that the devel- opment's traffic impact would compound existing weaknesses along the Xemxija-Pwales cor- ridor. Key road junctions in the area are already approaching capacity. To cater for the scale of ac- tivity, the project includes a six-level underground car park with 866 spaces—445 more than the minimum require- ment set by the PA. The de- veloper argues that the surplus parking would serve the wider Xemxija community and help alleviate pressure from on- street parking. However, the transport as- sessment identifies traffic gen- eration as the project's main challenge. Massive trip generation The report estimates that the development will generate an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of 3,502 primary trips. These represent new journeys directly linked to the devel- opment, including residents travelling home and visitors accessing the commercial fa- cilities. The estimate already factors in a 15% reduction for "pass-by trips" linked to the supermar- ket, gym and retail uses—jour- neys where motorists already travelling along the network stop at the development as an intermediate destination. Without this adjustment, the estimated traffic generation would rise to 3,922 daily vehi- cle movements. The impact would be most visible during peak periods. During the weekday morning peak between 7am and 8am, the development is expected to generate 201 primary trips, split almost equally between arrivals and departures. Dur- ing the weekday evening peak between 5pm and 6pm, this rises to 264 trips. The busiest period is expect- ed on Saturdays, when the assessment forecasts 370 pri- mary trips during the midday peak. Across the whole Saturday, traffic generation rises to 3,838 daily trips, driven largely by commercial activity, with su- permarket customers account- ing for more than 1,700 jour- neys. Impact on junctions The report focuses on two critical junctions: Junction A, the Xemxija roundabout, and Junction D, the Pwales round- about. The Xemxija roundabout is already operating inadequate- ly, according to the assessment, due to external factors includ- ing a nearby pelican crossing, bus stops and roadside activi- ty that causes traffic to "block back" into the roundabout. The Pwales roundabout cur- rently operates within capacity but is projected to fail by 2035 during weekday evenings and Saturday peak periods as traffic volumes increase. Mistra village development to set the tune The assessment also con- siders the cumulative impact of the redevelopment of the former Mistra Village site, which includes 744 residential units and extensive commer- cial space. The Mistra project which is being appealed, is ex- pected to generate 1,156 trips during evening peak hours alone compared to the 264 cre- ated by the Xemxija project in the same timeframe. The report found that Mistra Village alone would signifi- cantly worsen junction perfor- mance by 2035, even without the proposed Polidano devel- opment in Xemxija. Cumulative impact When combined with traffic from both projects, together with an assumed 1% annual baseline growth in traffic, the report warns that pressure on the Xemxija-Pwales corridor will become critical. The assessment warns that in the absence of major strategic interventions like a bypass or the Gozo tunnel, the combi- nation of the proposed large- scale developments is likely to exacerbate the current perfor- mance of the roundabout to a critical degree. "The addition of the redirect- ed traffic... together with trips generated from the committed development on the site of the former Mistra village, will re- sult in a significant exacerba- tion of the queuing, delays and capacity issues already pres- ent," the report states. The study also examines what would happen if the develop- ment is not built. Under the 'Do Nothing 2035' scenario, which assumes the site remains undeveloped but includes nor- mal traffic growth and the Mistra Village redevelopment, congestion would still increase. At Junction A during the weekday evening peak, average delay is projected at 5.18 min- utes without the development. If the Polidano project goes ahead, this increases to 7.54 minutes. The findings suggest that while the proposed project would worsen congestion, the underlying problem is also the result of wider development patterns and continued traffic growth. The study notes that no major new road is proposed as part of the application. The report notes that the National Trans- port Master Plan 2030 identi- fies the corridor for upgrading, but not until longer-term plan- ning towards 2050. Previous solutions, including the proposed Xemxija Bypass, which was estimated to reduce through-traffic by up to 75%, remain shelved due to environ- mental and agricultural con- cerns. A Malta-Gozo tunnel, previ- ously considered as a possible means of reducing pressure on northern roads, is also current- ly not being pursued. The assessment instead points towards smaller-scale interventions and a shift to- wards alternative transport, recommending improved pe- destrian links, cycling facilities and measures to encourage public transport use. Polidano's Xemxija project with 140 apartments will add 3,500 daily car trips Photomontage of proposed development