Villa owners take Transport Malta to court over flyover project

Transport Malta has been hit with a lawsuit by villa owners who claim that plans to construct a flyover at Kappara have drastically reduced the value of their property.

The roadworks had started on 11 April, as part of a €39 million EU-funded upgrade of the TEN-T network at the Marsa and Kappara junctions that includes a series of flyovers.

The Kappara Junction Project, which costs €22.5 million alone, is intended to address congestion problems in one of Malta’s arterial roads. According to Transport Malta figures, the junction currently sees over 90,000 vehicles pass through it on a daily. Once completed, the 77 week project is hoped to reduce the traffic load on the roundabout by half.

However, John and Isabelle Azzopardi say the plans to construct a flyover at Kappara has drastically reduced the value of their property.

In a sworn application filed before the First Hall of the Civil Court this morning, the couple explains that they had sought technical advice about the planned construction, the preparatory works for which have recently been started and had been advised that their property’s value would decrease substantially because of the flyover.

Correspondence to the Transport Malta, asking it to liquidate and pay damages to the couple remained unanswered, forcing the Azzopardis to resort to litigation, the application reads.

Last year, a restaurant owner was paid €835,000 for the expropriation of The Cottage restaurant on Mikiel Anton Vassalli road, which will now be the site for extensive roadworks.

Representatives of Transport Malta and MEPA, architect Lodovico Micallef, the contractors who are tasked with carrying out the works and the San Gwann local council are amongst those who will be summoned to testify.

Lawyer Edward Gatt signed the sworn application.