Burmarrad roundabout near prospective supermarket is ‘traffic-calming measure’, IM says

Infrastructure Malta has formally presented plans to build a roundabout right next to the site of a proposed supermarket, outside development zones, in Burmarrad.

The supermarket is being proposed by Bonnici Brothers Ltd on agricultural land between Triq is-Sardin and Triq Burmarrad.

The supermarket had originally been presented in September 2018 but then suspended for the past two years. New plans reactivating the two-storey supermarket were presented on 10 December 2020, with an underground carpark for 179 cars.

But IM also launched a public consultation on plans to upgrade the junction at the corner between Triq is-Sardin and Triq Burmarrad, which will require the expropriation of 139sq.m of agricultural land, which includes an old reservoir and the uprooting of 2 Cypress trees and an Orange cross tree.

The supermarket is proposed next to a petrol station approved by the Planning Authority in 2018, but which is still awaiting the appeals verdict of the Environment and Planning Tribunal.

IM insists that the roundabout will be a traffic-calming measure as road users approach the residential area of Burmarrad, reducing accident risks along the 2.5-kilometre road. It said the road’s crossroads are “accident black spots with a history of collisions and serious consequences to road users, especially due to the lack of measures discouraging overtaking and speeding.”

MaltaToday is informed that apart from the Environment and Resources Authority’s strong objections to urban sprawl in the ODZ, one major objection concerns the supermarket’s traffic impact. In September 2018 Transport Malta had referred the application to the PA’s traffic planning unit, noting that a traffic impact assessment may be necessary.

While presently traffic along Triq is-Sardin is relatively low, the situation could change if the supermarket is approved.