The Regional Road project, which includes the reconstruction and the widening of part of this primary artery between the Tal-Qroqq tunnel and Santa Venera into six lanes - three in each direction - is in its last phase.
In the last few days, the part of the southern carriageway, exiting from the Tal-Qroqq tunnels towards the direction of Santa Venera, was given a first layer of asphalt.
In the past days, Infrastructure Malta completed the bridge structure over Triq il-Wied in Msida.
The bridge built in the 1970s and which enables the two carriageways on Regional Road to pass over Triq il-Wied in Msida has been reconstructed to accommodate the new lanes and to improve the alignment of the road, making it safer and reducing the risks of accidents, the minister said. The new bridge will be one of the widest structures of its type in Malta, with a total width of more than 23.5 metres.
The lane that will be added within the northbound carriageway, from the Santa Venera tunnels towards Msida, will be providing safer access from the slip roads that join Triq il-Wied in Msida, Triq il-Ferrovija l-Antika in Birkirkara and Triq Kappillan Mifsud in Santa Venera with Regional road.
Further up, part of this new lane has been completed and has been opened to traffic, to minimise the travelling time when one exits from Regional Road into the slip road that leads to Birkirkara Bypass, the University and Mater Dei Hospital.
The other new lane in the southbound carriageway improves travelling for vehicles coming from the direction of the ramp that joins the Birkirkara bypass and the Tal-Qroqq roundabout (near the Skatepark) with Regional Road, enabling them to proceed directly towards Santa Venera.
This lane will also be providing a safer exit from Regional Road onto Triq il-Ferrovija l-Antika and Triq il-Kappillan Mifsud, the two roads that meet at the roundabout between Birkirkara and Santa Venera.
A retaining wall on the side of the bridge is currently being constructed. The central strip was removed and is being replaced with a safer one through the installation of crash barriers known as jersey barriers that limit the consequences in the case of accidents. This concrete crash barrier system was used also in Tal-Balal project for the first time.
“The Regional Road project is another one of a series of projects that we have implemented along this main artery that joins the north of Malta to the south. This is a very important road that was in need of improvement and in a few weeks, before the feast of Santa Marija, this project will be concluded for the benefit of thousands of commuters that use it every day,” Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg said.