Part of Regional Road might be roofed over to improve air quality, noise levels

Part of the Regional Road in the Santa Venera area might in the future have a roof constructed over it, in an effort to improve air quality in the upper area and provide a physical buffer limiting traffic noise coming from the lower level.

The Environment Ministry announced today that it had initiated the process of preparing a high-level assessment of the feasibility of such a roof, at the level of Brighella Street and its surroundings.

The ministry said the area would also have a "green infrastructure" introduced on top of the new roof, mitigating the combined effects of urbanisation in the locality.

“[Environment] Minister José Herrera stated that for years on end the citizens of Santa Venera have been suffering from negative environmental externalities owing to excessive noise and air pollution,” the Ministry highlighted, “As promised in the electoral manifesto, this Ministry will do its best to try and address this important issue.”

Alternattiva Demokratika’s young people's arm, AD Żgħażagħ, had called for the creation of such a roof on the Regional Road in 2016, when it had said that residents living right above the road had to contend daily with exhaust fumes and noise coming from vehicles passing beneath.

AD Żgħażagħ had back then emphasised that it was “high-time” for a roof, extending from the Santa Venera tunnels till the roundabout, to be constructed, noting that this would also provide a large open space in a very built-up area.