Updated 4.30pm with IM reply
The Żebbuġ local council will be holding an "urgent" meeting on Friday evening to discuss work on the Siġġiewi-Żebbuġ junction after residents lamented the changes will not benefit the two localities.
Żebbuġ mayor Mark Camilleri told Times of Malta the council will be meeting after talks with Infrasturcture Malta over an upgrade to the Siġġiewi-Żebbuġ junction.
On Wednesday, the roads agency announced it was upgrading the busy junction, claiming it would reduce travel time in the area by 30%. The works are expected to be completed by mid-September.
The announcement sparked complaints by the mayors of the two towns as they were informed of the project only two days before the work kicked off.
The decision has left residents of both localities fuming, with many saying the traffic synonymous with the area will only get worse with the proposed changes.
When contacted, Camilleri said he had called an urgent council meeting at 6pm on Friday to discuss the matter in light of the residents' concerns. Camilleri did note, however, that the agency did seem open to hearing the council's views on the changes.
When Times of Malta pointed out that the works have already kicked off, Camilleri said the works were still in early days, as the upgrade will take until mid-September to complete.
The council will be issuing a statement on the matter after the meeting.
Meanwhile, Camilleri said the council did not ask IM whether the changes are related to a proposal currently submitted at the Planning Authority for the building of a supermarket, on ODZ land, across the street from the junction.
"We did not raise it and IM did not mention it," Camilleri said when Times of Malta asked whether the works were related to the proposed project.
Residents irked by IM decision
Residents of the two localities have voiced concern about the changes, with some saying the so-called upgrade will only make the traffic situation worse.
"This project will make it harder for people to get out of Siġġiewi rather than easier. It will result in the loss of mature trees and will cost the taxpayer money and inconvenience for nothing. Typical arrogance of Infrastructure Malta," one Times of Malta reader said on Facebook.
Another said: "They do not care about the residents of Siġġiewi and Żebbuġ. There is no election now. They can do whatever they want".
Others described the changes as "useless" and said the project will be a "waste of money" because the traffic situation will likely not improve.
IM says upgrade not linked to supermarket
A spokesperson for IM told Times of Malta that the project was not linked to the proposed supermarket.
He reiterated that the agency had invited the two councils to come forward with proposals for improvements, "even during the implementation of this project".
"Consultations will continue in coming weeks. In the meantime, as all parties agree that doing nothing is not an option, preparatory works started on Thursday night.
"The project in this arterial road, including any improvements that the local councils may recommend, need to be completed before the end of summer to avoid causing difficulties to road users when schools reopen."