Xemxija traffic bottleneck set to worsen with proposed mega complex

Xemxija is already considered a strategic traffic bottleneck in national transport plans and the situation is set to get worse with a proposed 11-storey mixed-use development.

The project proposed (PA/04199/24) by the Polidano Brothers Ltd will generate 3,502 additional vehicle journeys every day, adding further pressure on the road network in the area. Apart from residences, the project includes commercial development, a supermarket and a cinema.

The development is planned on a 7,133sq.m site fronted by Triq Is-Simar to the south and Triq Raddet Ir-Roti to the north. The site which lies on the slope between two roads, is located very close to the Xemxija roundabout, identified in the Transport Impact Assessment as Junction A.

The Planning Authority has already paved the way for the project by approving a zoning application that expands the area where a mix of residential and commercial development may be allowed. The change incorporated most of a villa-designated site into the mixed-use site.

The Xemxija junction links Telgħet Ix-Xemxija, Triq Il-Mistra and Triq Raddet Ir-Roti, and is one of the two main nodes assessed for the project’s impact on traffic flows.

The assessment carried out by Adi Associates Environmental Consultants and released in May 2026, warns that the development’s traffic impact would compound existing weaknesses along the Xemxija-Pwales corridor. Key road junctions in the area are already approaching capacity.

To cater for the scale of activity, the project includes a six-level underground car park with 866 spaces—445 more than the minimum requirement set by the PA. The developer argues that the surplus parking would serve the wider Xemxija community and help alleviate pressure from on-street parking.

However, the transport assessment identifies traffic generation as the project’s main challenge.

Massive trip generation

The report estimates that the development will generate an annual average daily traffic (AADT) of 3,502 primary trips. These represent new journeys directly linked to the development, including residents travelling home and visitors accessing the commercial facilities.

The estimate already factors in a 15% reduction for “pass-by trips” linked to the supermarket, gym and retail uses—journeys where motorists already travelling along the network stop at the development as an intermediate destination. Without this adjustment, the estimated traffic generation would rise to 3,922 daily vehicle movements.

Photo montage of the Polidano development from the Veċċja area of St Paul's Bay )Montage: 3DM Architecture)

The impact would be most visible during peak periods.

During the weekday morning peak between 7am and 8am, the development is expected to generate 201 primary trips, split almost equally between arrivals and departures. During the weekday evening peak between 5pm and 6pm, this rises to 264 trips.

The busiest period is expected on Saturdays, when the assessment forecasts 370 primary trips during the midday peak. Across the whole Saturday, traffic generation rises to 3,838 daily trips, driven largely by commercial activity, with supermarket customers accounting for more than 1,700 journeys.

Impact on junctions

The report focuses on two critical junctions: Junction A, the Xemxija roundabout, and Junction D, the Pwales roundabout.

The Xemxija roundabout is already operating inadequately, according to the assessment, due to external factors including a nearby pelican crossing, bus stops and roadside activity that causes traffic to “block back” into the roundabout.

The Pwales roundabout currently operates within capacity but is projected to fail by 2035 during weekday evenings and Saturday peak periods as traffic volumes increase.

Mistra Village development to set the tune

The assessment also considers the cumulative impact of the redevelopment of the former Mistra Village site, which includes 744 residential units and extensive commercial space. The Mistra project which is being appealed, is expected to generate 1,156 trips during evening peak hours alone compared to the 264 created by the Xemxija project in the same timeframe.

The report found that Mistra Village alone would significantly worsen junction performance by 2035, even without the proposed Polidano development in Xemxija.

Cumulative impact

When combined with traffic from both projects, together with an assumed 1% annual baseline growth in traffic, the report warns that pressure on the Xemxija-Pwales corridor will become critical.

The assessment warns that in the absence of major strategic interventions like a bypass or the Gozo tunnel, the combination of the proposed large-scale developments is likely to exacerbate the current performance of the roundabout to a critical degree.

“The addition of the redirected traffic... together with trips generated from the committed development on the site of the former Mistra village, will result in a significant exacerbation of the queuing, delays and capacity issues already present,” the report states.

The study also examines what would happen if the development is not built. Under the ‘Do Nothing 2035’ scenario, which assumes the site remains undeveloped but includes normal traffic growth and the Mistra Village redevelopment, congestion would still increase.

At Junction A during the weekday evening peak, average delay is projected at 5.18 minutes without the development. If the Polidano project goes ahead, this increases to 7.54 minutes.

The findings suggest that while the proposed project would worsen congestion, the underlying problem is also the result of wider development patterns and continued traffic growth.

The study notes that no major new road is proposed as part of the application. The report notes that the National Transport Master Plan 2030 identifies the corridor for upgrading, but not until longer-term planning towards 2050.

Previous solutions, including the proposed Xemxija Bypass, which was estimated to reduce through-traffic by up to 75%, remain shelved due to environmental and agricultural concerns. A Malta-Gozo tunnel, previously considered as a possible means of reducing pressure on northern roads, is also currently not being pursued.

The assessment instead points towards smaller-scale interventions and a shift towards alternative transport, recommending improved pedestrian links, cycling facilities and measures to encourage public transport use.