Part of the Santa Lucia Avenue will reopen for traffic over the weekend, after the rebuilding of the arterial road was completed.
Motorists will this weekend be able to drive through the two-lane southbound carriageway of the avenue, and Infrastructure Malta is hoping to reopen the two lanes in the opposite direction as soon as the final work on the Marsa junction flyovers is completed.
The southbound carriageway will be open from Palm Street, Paola, on Saturday, and then from Aldo Moro Road (Marsa flyovers) on Tuesday, a spokesperson told Times of Malta.
Photo: Omar Camilleri, DOIThe south end of the avenue will be directly linked to Tal-Barrani via the tunnels which are being built underneath the Santa Luċia roundabout.
Transport minister Ian Borg, who visited Santa Lucia Avenue on Friday, said the project will improve road safety.
He added that heavy-duty asphalt had been used throughout the project and the road had been widened to host footpaths and cycle lanes that connect Paola, Tarxien, Santa Luċia, Luqa and Marsa.
Flanked by parliamentary secretary Zrinzo Azzopardi and IM chief Frederick Azzopardi, Borg added that more than 78 per cent of the Marsa junction project is complete while 70 per cent of the Santa Luċia underpass and roundabout project also ready.
The project includes the installation of new lighting systems, 3.2km of steel crash barriers and the use of modified asphalt that is meant to last longer and better resist fluctuations in temperature.
“We are ensuring that today’s commitment lasts. We are planning holistically and long-term to ensure that the fruits of our labour are enjoyed by future generations while witnessing more efficient journeys, less congestion and cleaner air,” the minister said.
Photo: Omar Camilleri, DOIThe reconstruction of the avenue included the laying of over 3.7km of underground distribution networks for utilities, as well as a new stormwater system with 105 catchments and a 3.1km pipeline, IM said in a statement.