A motorcyclist was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after he smashed into a stationary garbage skip on the St Paul's Bay bypass on Wednesday afternoon.

The incident was reported to the police at around 5pm. 

A police spokesperson said the man - a 54-year-old English man from Mellieħa - suffered serious injuries and was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital.

According to the police, the man lost control of his Honda and crashed into a stationary skip on the bypass.

An eyewitness who lives in the area told Times of Malta that the garbage skip was parked on the bypass as part of ongoing works on a wall bordering the road.

Traffic cones placed to warn motorists about the stationary skip were inadequate, she said, and residents had complained several times and even written to the town's mayor about their concerns. 

"Many cars have crashed into the bollards over the past weeks," she said. "The only warning was a red plastic bollard about 20 feet before the truck box."

The northbound lane on the bypass was temporarily closed to traffic.

Photo: Malta Police Force