Nearly 23 million cars pass through the Birkirkara bypass every year, making it the most heavily used and probably the noisiest road in Malta.

This data is included in the first ever noise maps drawn up by the planning authority, listing the busiest roads in the Maltese islands.

Vjal Sir Paul Boffa and Telgħet Raħal Ġdid both in Paola, and Vjal Santa Luċija (Santa Luċija Avenue) are next on the list.

The noise maps were presented recently to Brussels under an EU directive aimed at introducing long-term measures against noise pollution across Europe.

Malta was meant to have presented the map, along with an action plan, by the end of 2009. However, Mepa was only in a position to produce these studies by the end of last year and only following legal procedures taken by the European Commission against Malta.

Replying to a parliamentary question on the subject by Labour MEP Edward Scicluna, who asked for an update, the EU’s Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik said Malta had now submitted its overdue reports.

“It now appears that Malta has made important progress towards ensuring compliance with the EU’s Noise Directive,” he said.

Sources close to the Commission yesterday told The Times that once Brussels clears the submissions made by Malta, its legal services would be expected to drop the case.

This case is the only one involving Malta pending before the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

Malta has a total of 545 roads, stretching 173km in all, which are subject to the EU’s Noise Directive as they take more than six million vehicle passages every year.