Truck crashes on Manwel Dimech Bridge

One lane on Manwel Dimech Bridge, which is undergoing repairs, was closed to traffic yesterday morning after an accident.

A spokesman for the Roads Ministry said the lane in the direction of St Julians would remain closed until the necessary checks on the bridge, along the Regional Road, were carried out.

For the time being, no traffic heading towards St Julians can pass through the tunnel. Vehicles are instead being diverted through San Gwann.

The disruption was caused after the driver of a Scammel truck, who was heading to Valletta, lost control and veered to the left, smashing through the crash barriers and coming to rest against the bridge railing, the spokesman added. One of the bridge's two viaducts was closed earlier this month so that urgent repair work could be carried out and the other viaduct is being used temporarily as a two-way road.

Nobody was injured in the accident.

Meanwhile, the first section of the bridge was removed yesterday as part of the extensive works to fully reconstruct it.

The concrete blocks are being cut with a diamond cutter, brought to Malta purposely for the project.

The €6 million (Lm2.6m) project, which should be completed in September, includes the reconstruction of the two viaducts, rehabilitating the piers and abutment walls supporting the deck, upgrading the ancillary roads and the rehabilitation of the underlying valley.