Msida pedestrian bridge proposal was shot down five years ago

The Msida Creek pedestrian bridge that government said was proposed by Junior College students last month had already been proposed and shot down five years ago.

In its first plans for the Msida Creek project in 2020, Infrastructure Malta had submitted proposals for three pedestrian bridges, one of which would link Msida square with the Junior College area in Pietà – very similar to the one announced by Infrastructure Minister Chris Bonett last month.

Back in 2020, the idea did not go down well with both the Msida and Pietà local councils, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage (SCH) and the Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee (CHAC), NGO Rota and many residents, who raised concerns about inconvenience, and the intrusiveness and appropriateness of such structures in the area.

The SCH and the CHAC had felt the pedestrian bridge would feel intrusive on the eye and impact the views of the parish church and the workers’ memorial.

NGO Rota and many residents had complained the bridge would be inconvenient and “frustrating for pedestrians and bicycle users since they add time, distance and effort to cross the road”.

That resistance prompted Infrastructure Malta to drop plans for the bridges and develop alternative street crossings – a decision that was welcomed by all entities who had previously opposed the bridges.

Then, last month, Infrastructure Minister Bonett agreed to implement an idea proposed by the Junior College student council to build a pedestrian bridge in the same area, linking the two Kulleġġ bus stops at Msida.

The two bus stops are heavily used by Junior College students and residents of Msida and Pietà.

Bonett said the bridge will do away with the current traffic lights on Triq Marina, eliminating any waiting time for vehicles, while improving pedestrian safety.

The pedestrian bridge will be part of the multi-million-euro Msida creek project currently under construction.

Great but tricky idea

But sources close to Infrastructure Malta told Times of Malta that while offering safe crossings for pedestrians is a great idea, any bridge must be carefully thought out, because similar bridges on major projects in the past decade have not been very successful.

“Our experience with pedestrian bridges so far is not very positive,” one source said.

“They cost us a lot of money to build and remain heavily underutilised by pedestrians, and some are almost entirely ghosted.”

Figures published by Infrastructure Malta show these kinds of bridges have cost over €2 million each to build in the past.

The big, yellow footbridge close to the airport cost €2.3 million, the Blata l-Bajda footbridge cost €2 million and the Marsa-Ħamrun bypass bridge cost a whopping €3.5 million.

A render for the first proposal of the project included a similar bridge to the one proposed now. It can be seen in the upper corner of this photo. Photo: Infrastructure Malta

Even worse, they need very expensive, regular maintenance.

Figures published in parliament last week show lifts in these bridges broke down 99 times between 2024 and 2025. Lifts in different bridges on the Marsa junction broke down over 50 times between last year and this year, the Airport’s yellow bridge broke down 20 times and the Blata l-Bajda one broke down 10 times.

Why people don’t use them

One source said the moment they find an added hurdle to crossing a road, people will try to avoid it, even if they must cross the road more dangerously. And things like having to climb a flight of stairs on one side of the road and go down again on the other side, or wait for a lift, all feel like inconvenient hurdles to pedestrians.

They cost us a lot of money to build and remain heavily underutilised by pedestrians, and some are almost entirely ghosted

This was one of the main reasons why residents did not want the Msida bridge that Infrastructure Malta first proposed in 2020.

Moreover, they are an even bigger hurdle for cyclists, which is why NGO Rota opposed them.

This is not to say that pedestrian bridges are a bad idea in principle, the sources added. They could work extremely well if done right. But they must offer an alternative route that avoids or diminishes the hurdles and that could do without mechanical restrictions, waiting time for the lifts and added effort that is required by flights of stairs.

One of the most successful examples of these bridges is the one in Blata l-Bajda, which is built with a ramp which makes it much easier for pedestrians and people on wheels to use, one source said.

No designs yet

It is yet unclear how the Msida bridge is going to be constructed and no plans or designs have been published yet.

Questions were sent to Infrastructure Malta, asking why the government felt it was a good idea to propose a bridge once again, what it intends to do differently this time round and whether it feels the bridge is worth the cost knowing most of them were not as successful as the government had wished.

Times of Malta also asked for the designs and the price tag of the proposed bridge and for a breakdown of what residents, NGOs and local councils feel about the proposal.

Local councils concerned

In a reply to questions, both the Msida and the Pietà local councils expressed concerns over the proposed bridge.

The Msida council was bolder in its reply. Mayor Charles Selvaggi said it is “not on board” with it. He said it was against it five years ago and remains against it now, as “it is definitely not a new proposal despite the reports claiming that it is”.

“Most importantly, this will limit access to residents from both sides (Pietà and Msida). In addition, 60 per cent of the lifts installed in bridges such as these often do not function properly, if at all (as recently reported in the media). So, what will older people, or wheelchair users, or mothers with pushchairs do?” he said.

“Apart from that, the flyover has already ruined the aesthetic of the town’s centre. So, we cannot approve of another bridge.”

He said the council was not consulted on the project before the government announced it but said they have a meeting about it with the minister “in the coming days”.

Pietà mayor Stefano Savo also said his local council was not informed about the new bridge but met with the ministry and Infrastructure Malta shortly after the announcement to “exchange views on the project”.

“Following that meeting, I consulted with some residents in the area to hear their perspectives. I then brought the issue forward at the local council meeting, where all members had the opportunity to deliberate,” he said.

“A number of concerns were raised should a pedestrian bridge be built, which we have formally communicated to Infrastructure Malta. Among the key points highlighted to solve all concerns raised is the importance of having an effective stormwater management system and the consideration of an underpass as part of the solution. We are currently awaiting their response to the concerns submitted.”