The developers of the Institute of Tourism Studies site are proposing a tunnel from the corner of the site all the way past the residential part of Pembroke, which would then merge with traffic on the Coast Road at a new roundabout.
Drawings provided by the db Group show the tunnel would largely pass under the existing road (Mediterranean Street), starting just past the social housing at the ITS end.
The tunnel would then go beyond the existing road at the western end, and would go round in a curve past the industrial area, emerging to the right of Australia Hall, where it would join the Coast Road at a new roundabout at the infamous junction with Suffolk Street.
The plans would also add a roundabout on the corner of the ITS junction.
The government is currently analysing the suggestions and no decisions have been taken, a spokesman for the Transport Ministry told the Times of Malta.
Hundreds of Pembroke residents and activists recently marched in opposition to the mega-development, calling on developers not to bury them alive. Protestors highlighted concerns including the thousands of additional car trips the project would generate, noise and dust during the construction period, overshadowing from the proposed 37-storey residential tower, and the consequences of extending intensive commercial activity from Paceville into a quiet residential community.
Representatives of the db Group had a meeting with residents who were sceptical of what they described as a “phantom tunnel”, raising concerns that it would be built after the development kicked off.
Read: St Julians tunnel plans nowhere to be seen
Over 4,000 objections were eventually submitted to the Planning Authority.
Read: Over 4,000 objections to the proposed ITS project
Drawings of the proposed tunnel finally emerged on Tuesday in reply to a parliamentary question posed by MP Karol Aquilina, presented by Transport Minister Ian Borg.
However, Dr Borg failed to give the requested details about how much the tunnel would cost and whether the government or the developers would pay for it.
Attached files
The developers are suggesting a roundabout at this notorious junction on the Coast Road.
The tunnel would start at the beginning of Mediterranean Street.
The tunnel would emerge roughly in the centre of the screen shot, to the right of the industrial area.