Works on a major upgrade of Triq Buqana, the distributor road linking Mtarfa to Mosta and Mgarr, will start by the end of the year, Infrastructure Malta said on Saturday.
The project will also introduce an additional northbound lane and a new 1.8 kilometre segregated cycle track.
The agency issued a call for offers for the contracting of the civil works required for the project, which include the building of new infrastructure and the resurfacing of the existing lanes.
The project will introduce new infrastructure to encourage increased use of alternative modes of transportation, while reducing travelling times along this main road link to the northern part of the country, and to Gozo.
The existing road includes two lanes for vehicular traffic, one in each direction, and a combined footpath and cycle lane in the southbound direction.
Through this project, the road will be widened to include a second northbound lane, from Mtarfa towards Mosta, and a new segregated cycle track in the same direction. At the same time, the two roundabouts at the two ends of this stretch of road will be rebuilt and re-aligned, to increase capacity and reduce accident risks.
At the southern end of the road, the roundabout will be upgraded with a third lane. It will also have new cycle priority lanes to help cyclists ride around this junction safely.
A similar cycle-priority system will be adopted in the roundabout at the other end, linking Triq Buqana with Mosta and Mġarr. This roundabout will also be upgraded with three new bypass lanes. The first one will get road users from Triq Buqana’s new northbound lane directly to Triq Sir Temi Zammit, in Mġarr. The second bypass lane will link Triq Sir Temi Zammit’s northbound lane to Triq ta’ Zejfa (Żokrija area) in Mosta, whilst the third one will connect Triq San Pawl tal-Qliegħa (Sriedek area) towards Triq Buqana’s southbound lane.
Infrastructure Malta said it will also be upgrading several underground electricity, water, sewage, telecommunications and storm water networks buried beneath the road surface, in collaboration with the utilities and telecommunications service providers.