Moviment Graffitti: No need for new two-lane road linking Żabbar to Smart City

Moviment Graffitti is strongly opposed to the proposed construction of a new two-lane road linking Żabbar to Smart City.

“[The road] threatens to inflict irreversible damage on Malta’s rural and cultural heritage under the guise of solving a non-existent traffic problem,” the NGO said.

It said the public can object to the proposal by sending an email to [email protected], by Friday 13 June, quoting the application number PA/07004/23 in the subject line.

“Despite revisions to the original plan, the project will still destroy 5,686sq.m of agricultural land — half of which remains productive — disrupting local ecosystems and further eroding our already shrinking green spaces and agriculture,” it said. “The road will also lead to the removal of 30 mature trees and shrubs, to be replaced, in theory, with 40 new indigenous species. But this kind of 'greenwashing' ignores the decades it takes for ecosystems to mature. Biodiversity isn’t restored with saplings — and in the meantime, local habitats and climate resilience are further degraded.”

Moviment Graffitti said the road will pass through and disturb an area rich in history and protected heritage. “The project’s route threatens the context of Notre Dame Gate, the Cottonera bastions, the Capuchin Convent, and the surrounding scheduled structures — some of which are Grade I-listed and located in Areas of High Landscape and Ecological Importance.”

The new link will start from Żabbar’s Notre Dame Gate, also known as Bieb is-Sultan, and will stretch to what is currently agricultural land until it reaches Kalkara’s Capuchin Convent.

The project then aims to upgrade existing roads that connect the convent to the Kalkara football ground, down to the Malta Film Studios and the entrance to Smart City. Apart from the two-lane road for cars, the project will also include a cycling and walking lane.

“Traffic toward Smart City does not warrant this intervention. Existing roads already provide adequate access without destroying farmland or encroaching on historic sites. The government’s justification — that it is contractually obliged to build this road as part of the Smart City agreement — is a failure of leadership. Outdated contracts must not be allowed to dictate harmful developments that go against today’s environmental realities and national interest. We urgently call on the authorities to reconsider and renegotiate — rather than bulldoze ahead with a project that sacrifices our environment and heritage to serve the speculative interests of a wealthy few,” the NGO said.

Moviment Graffitti said government, instead of spending €8 million on a damaging bypass,  should invest in forward-thinking mobility: expanded public transport, safe cycling routes using existing roads, and incentives that reduce car dependency.

“The proposed Żabbar–Smart City road is a textbook example of outdated thinking disguised as progress. It sacrifices farmland, heritage, and the environment to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. Moviment Graffitti calls on the authorities to urgently rethink these plans, realign them with the nation’s present-day priorities, and put the real needs of the people first,” a statement read.