Unusual surface movements force Mqabba road closure, Infrastructure Malta investigating

Infrastructure Malta (IM) will be carrying out urgent interventions in Triq is-Sejba, Mqabba over the next few weeks after motorists reported unusual road movements. 

IM was notified of geological movement on the road's surface, which is surrounded by quarries. "Hence we believed an examination was urgently required," IM CEO Ivan Falzon told MaltaToday.

He said the road surface has rapidly deteriorated and access to it has been closed for traffic.

Falzon added that IM will be monitoring the deterioration and movement closely over the next three days. The entire route will be refurbished in the following weeks.

Vehicular access in the area from the corner of Il-Parroċċa Street to corner of Il-Madonna tal-Ġilju Street will be restricted with immediate effect as a precautionary measure.

“We are aware that commercial vehicles use this road but for the time being parallel roads can be used,” Falzon said.

Just over two decades ago in a different part of Mqabba, a 12-storey quarry side collapsed damaging the locality's school playground.

A geological study had established that the collapse was partly caused by the rubble and soil used as filling for a disused quarry on which the school's football pitch was built. This reclaimed quarry was adjacent to another quarry that was still in use and various factors contributed to pressure building on the thin rock face separating the two quarries that eventually led to the collapse.

The report noted that the structural integrity of the school building was not affected by the collapse because it was built on solid rock.

Mqabba is surrounded by quarries on all sides.