[WATCH] Luqa road roundabout works complete

Works on the Luqa roundabout near the St Vincent de Paule residence were completed on Monday, the Transport and Infrastructure ministry said.

The junction connects Qormi to Ħal Farruġ, Luqa and a number of other localities in the south of Malta. The project was announced in January, with minister Ian Borg explaining that the works were needed to ensure an optimal flow of traffic through the area, while also improving driver safety.

In addition to improving flow in the area and reducing pollution from traffic congestion, Borg had said the project would also serve to relieve traffic congestion once work on the Marsa junction reaches a stage where traffic is disrupted.

This roundabout connects Triq Ħal Qormi, Triq Ħal Farruġ, Triq l-Ingiered, which goes towards Marsa and Triq Ħal Luqa.

In a statement, the Transport ministry said the government’s investment meant the roundabout could be redesigned and rebuilt to allow both roads leading up to it to also be widened.

Two new bypass lanes were also built and will allow one to travel from Qormi to Triq l-Ingiered and from Luqa to Triq Ħal Farruġ without entering the roundabout.

The ministry said that the improvement to the junction will also contribute to the “elimination of difficulties” around two main roundabouts in Qormi, at either end of Triq Manwel Dimech, both of which were rebuilt from scratch in the second half of last year.

It added that the next step will see the commencement of another phase in this project, which includes the widening of Triq Ħal Qormi, between the roundabout which has just been completed and Luqa, in a bit to reduce congestion and journey times.

 “Apart from the investments we have already announced and launched in the past months, including several large projects such as the widening of the Marsa-Ħamrun Bypass, the building of seven flyovers instead of the traffic lights in Triq Aldo Moro in Marsa and the tunnels beneath the Santa Luċija roundabout, we will soon be giving further details about a number of other projects,” Borg was quoted saying. 

“We will also soon be launching the agency Infrastructure Malta, which will not only lead the investment of arterial road improvements, but will also commence with an unprecedented investment towards the improvement of the quality of the residential roads we live in.”

He said the work will continue gaining momentum in the coming weeks in order for the country’s infrastructure to be developed and strengthened in the shortest time possible.