Statement by the Ministry for Transport and Communication on the Kappara multi-level intersection

In a report published in a section of the local Press, today, Wednesday October 17, Mr Charles Buhagiar A& CE is reported to have stated that a call for tenders has been published for the construction of a multilevel intersection at Kappara. The report gives the impression that the Roads Department is working haphazardly, and is not keeping in line with established priorities, thus resulting in squandering of public funds.

In the first place it has to be pointed out that no call for tenders for the construction of a multilevel intersection at Kappara has been published.

However on Friday 22^nd instant, a call for tenders was published for the provision of professional services by Architects and Civil Engineers, to carry out traffic studies and to design the link road and junctions along this route. A plan of the site of the route is included with the tender documentation. At no stage was any reference made to the design of the Kappara multilevel intersection or the associated link road from tal-Qroqq to Kappara as these projects had been designed in 1996 based on the outline development permits granted at the time.

The new signalised roundabout is a first step in implementing this larger project. This roundabout will form the lower level of the future junction and will therefore manage the flow of vehicles entering and leaving the multilevel intersection to and from San Gwann and Gzira. Moreover the signalised junction will help manage traffic through the locality when the construction of the junction is in hand. Each carriageway of the flyover has already been designed as a wide span structure which will be supported on only two columns and which will be situated within the footprint of the present roundabout.

It has been stated in the report that the roundabout as constructed is not yielding the desired results. It appears that the junction is meeting expectations and the waiting time previously experienced by drivers at this roundabout has been reduced substantially. The present signalised layout is deemed to be the most appropriate for the locality at the present time and is the best suited to merge into future projects planned for the locality.