New pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Vjal l-Avjazzjoni

Infrastructure Malta is building a 34-metre bridge over Vjal l-Avjazzjoni to facilitate pedestrian, public transport and cycling commutes to and from several localities around Gudja.

On Tuesday morning, the agency submitted the project’s outline plans to the Planning Authority, requesting permission to build this structure later this year. A public call for offers for the final design and construction of the new bridge will be issued within a few weeks.

The proposed pedestrian and bicycle overpass will include two seven-metre high support structures including helical concrete access ramps that lead pedestrians and cyclists up to the gently-sloped bridge deck, extending over Vjal l-Avjazzjoni’s dual carriageway, an adjacent service road as well as additional space for future road infrastructure. The spiralling ramps of the structure are designed in accordance with the guidelines established by the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability to ensure that this infrastructure is accessible to everyone.  

The call for offers for this project will invite bidders to propose structures that incorporate innovative designs and environment-friendly materials, such as recycled plastic planks.    

The new bridge will link the two bus laybys at opposite sides of the road to provide safer access to public transport and to the road’s cycle lane and pavements leading to the Airport and to other nearby localities.      

Through another project that will be completed this summer, Infrastructure Malta is currently widening Vjal l-Avjazzjoni to add a third lane and a new cycle lane in the north-bound carriageway, from the direction of the Malta International Airport and the Kirkop tunnels, towards Luqa, Qormi, Santa Luċija and Paola.

The new vehicle lane will extend from the Airport roundabout bypass lane built last year to improve the link between the Kirkop tunnels and Vjal l-Avjazzjoni, towards Luqa. This upgrade will continue reducing travelling times for commuters coming from the direction of Kirkop, Safi, Zurrieq, Mqabba and Qrendi, as well as other roads intersecting at the Airport roundabout, from Birzebbuga, Gudja and Ghaxaq.