€12 million have been spent so far on upgrading the Central Business District in Mrieħel, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri said on Thursday. 

The work was overseen by the Central Business District Foundation, which is composed of members of the government and private operators.

More than 270 businesses operate from the Central Business District with more than 100 different business activities. They employ 12,000 in total.

The minister said that although this is an industrial area, over time, the number of residents in the vicinity had also increased and therefore investment had also been made in projects that improve safety, cleanliness, traffic, and public spaces. 

The minister listed the following works done so far:

  • Roads: Over 13,000 square metres of tarmac, repairs to various pavements and on-street parking.
  • Parking and traffic: Opening of new roads, a new public transport service, as well as temporary parking in the centre of the area. Work is under way on a road which will benefit the residents of Santa Venera. Two main junctions serving as entrances and exits from the Central Business District have also been refurbished and upgraded.
  • LED Street Lighting: Around 400 LED lamps have been installed.
  • Flood relief: New drains installed so that water can be smoothly directed into the national flood system.
  • Public garden: An abandoned area has been transformed into a public garden.
  • Community police: An agreement has been signed with the police to have two police officers and an electric police car on the beat during working hours.
  • Waste collection: Over 3,137 tonnes of waste were collected.
  • New signage: This includes street names as well as large maps in strategic locations to indicate the five areas of the district.
  • Mobile app: Providing information on works and developments in the area, especially traffic diversions or temporary road closures. 

Schembri said that among the projects currently underway are a CCTV system, installation of 14 electric vehicle charging stations in the area and a second temporary car park in Commerce Street.

 

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.