Traffic was at a standstill in many areas stretching from Swieqi to Tarxien on Tuesday evening, frustrating southbound commuters who reported significant delays.

Online traffic maps suggested heavy traffic flows across large swathes of central Malta, with southbound traffic heading to the Marsa area especially bad.

Live traffic cams also indicated heavy and slow traffic flows in key thoroughfares such as the Marsa Junction as of 6.45pm. 

Traffic maps showed southbound gridlock. Image: Google Maps

Local Facebook page Maltese Road Traffic Updates began reporting long delays for southbound traffic at around 5pm.

By 5.30pm, motorists in St Julian’s, Msida, Kappara and Santa Venera were also reporting delays.

“Marina Street, Pieta, jammed from both directions; Triq Dicembru 13 [Marsa] jammed and Triq Mikiel Anton Vassalli [Regional Road] is jammed from almost Pembroke! Surrounding areas are also full of traffic,” page administrators warned commuters.

Many commuters blamed traffic on a large gaming conference being held in Marsa. Roughly 20,000 delegates are taking part in the SiGMA Europe conference, which began on Monday and will run until Friday.

The Tuesday evening traffic caps a torrid day for Maltese commuters, following reports of intense traffic during the morning rush hour.

Morning traffic even forced parliamentarians to start their day late, after Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli and Shadow Minister Graziella Galea were both unable to make it to the House in time for their parliamentary debate, scheduled to begin at 9am.