Nine bus lanes covering 3,285 metres are being laid out in the most densely populated areas in Malta through the MODUS project, Transport Malta said.

As part of this project, the existing bus lane at the Ferries, in Sliema is being extended along The Strand, Gzira. The inner traffic lane will become a designated bus lane, along a stretch of 694 metres while parking along the promenade will be retained.

The design is based on queue and delay surveys whereby it resulted that there is sufficient capacity on one traffic lane to meet the traffic demand on this section of road, Transport Malta said. The Strand merges to one-lane near Manoel Island at a junction where merging movements pose a safety hazard. Hence, with the proposed design, traffic approaching the Manoel Island Junction would already be one-way, thus eliminating the traffic merge movements at this traffic sensitive location, it added.

Works on the footways have already commenced on site. Works on the bus lane are being carried out during the night. No road closures are envisaged during the works period on this project.

Other bus lanes which have been designed specifically to target high traffic demand areas, where route buses have the highest probability of delays, have been constructed and are fully operational in Aldo Moro Street in Marsa, in Pieta and Msida and in St Anne Street Floriana.

A new bus lane in Blata l-Bajda will be constructed in the coming weeks.
For further information regarding the new bus lane in Gzira, see http://goo.gl/NFWoIw