Infrastructure Malta has published its works tender for the Msida Creek project, which will include flyovers as well as a new public piazza in front of St Joseph's Parish Church.
The winning bidders for the project are expected to complete it within two years and provide a 10-year operations and maintenance service.
The tender will be uploaded into the government’s electronic tender system on Friday and will be available to the public on Sunday. It will remain open for three months and will be followed by an adjudication period which is expected to take between two to three months.
The Planning Authority’s case officer has also recommended the plans submitted for approval, with the project set to appear in front of the planning board on October 12.
Following the selection of a winning bidder and the signing of a contract, works in the area are expected to start in the first quarter of 2024.
Borehole testing has already been carried out by Infrastructure Malta as part of the pre-tender requirements.
Photo: Infrastructure MaltaThe Msida Creek Project underwent a dramatic redesign last year after it was initially proposed as two flyovers to replace the existing traffic light junction, a spot that is often congested at peak hours of traffic.
The plans were widely panned by residents and NGOs and even earned a rebuke from the head of the Chamber of Architects for intensifying infrastructure and traffic in the heart of Msida.
In the redesign announced in October, over 60 per cent of the project will be dedicated to public open spaces, including a new 2,200 square-metre piazza in front of the Msida parish church as well as a 300-metre long canal - conceived to alleviate flooding problems that often arise in the area during the rainy season.
The project will see the redesign and reconstruction of the traffic lights junction that connects Triq il-Marina to and from Sa Maison and Valletta, Triq il-Wied tal-Imsida and Triq Mikiel Anton Vassali - leading to and from the Skatepark roundabout as well as the upgrading of nearby junctions and roads leading to and from Gżira, Sliema and Ta’ Xbiex.
The new designs will eliminate traffic light waiting times and reduce travel times as well as accident risks, according to IM.
Photo: Infrastructure MaltaIM added that a Road Scheme Upgrade Assessment and a Road Safety Audit have already been carried out to make sure that the project will sufficiently cater for the current and future road transport demands. Presently it is estimated that over 4,500 vehicles pass through the Msida Creek traffic lights every hour.
Infrastructure Malta has also promised that public transport connections will be improved along this route, while wide pavements will be built along a new segregated walking and cycling track by the seafront.
A communal parking area with 115 spaces will be incorporated into the space and will be covered by a solar panel farm.
The area surrounding the Worker’s Memorial will be transformed into a landscaped green area with an adjoining public garden.