Friday, 18th April 2008 - 18:50CET

Both spans of Manwel Dimech Bridge to open on Monday

Both spans of Manwel Dimech Bridge will reopen on Monday at 3 p.m. with traffic able to flow at ordinary speed, the Infrastructure Ministry said this evening.

It also announced that minister Austin Gatt has directed the Transport Authority to prepare a detailed report on the weaknesses in the execution of this project, whose completion has been much delayed. The authority was also instructed to safeguard its legal position with regard to the contractor.

The ministry explained that although traffic would be able to flow across both spans from Monday afternoon, some work remained to be done, including the rehabilitation of the valley below the bridge, the rebuilding of rubble walls and the building of stairs linking the bridge to Triq il-Kalci.

Dr Gatt has instructed the ADT to ensure that this work is completed in the shortest possible time.

Meanwhile, the ADT said the bridge will be closed to traffic on Sunday and most of Monday.

The bridge and Triq Mikelang Borg (road leading from Spinola Bay to Manwel Dimech Bridge southbound tunnel) is to be closed from Sunday at 3am to Monday at 3pm.

The following traffic diversions are to be in place:

* On Sunday between 3am and Noon, vehicular traffic from Kappara Junction Roundabout will be diverted to Sliema Road either towards San Ġwann or towards Gżira.

* Between Noon on Sunday and 3pm of Monday, vehicular traffic from Kappara Junction will be diverted to Sliema Road towards San Ġwann or Gżira; Triq M.A. Vassalli and Ġuże Ellul Mercer Bridge (Bridge before the tunnels) from where traffic will be diverted to the slip road in the direction towards Birkirkara Road, San Gwann.

* Between Sunday at 3am and Monday at 3pm, vehicular traffic from Triq M.A. Vassalli (Paċeville Traffic Light Junction), southbound, will be diverted to Triq Sant' Andrija, Triq San Ġorġ and onto Spinola

Comments

Alex Mifsud (3 weeks, 4 days ago)

At long last the bridges will be reopened to relieve us of the long single lane traffic in the morning. But this only lasts for a couple of hundred meters as the biggest problem is still the round about at Kappara. I suggest that this round about be closed during the rush hours and traffic coming from university heights and San Gwann is diverted to the tunnels and under the bridge. On another note I hope that now we have a safer bridge, the speed cameras are either remove or have the speed limit adjusted to 70 km.

Ben grech (3 weeks, 5 days ago)

Comments from individuals such as C.Spiteri simply baffle me. With all due respect the bridge was already near completion after the general elections.To state that Austin Gatt had any significant part in the completion of this project is a bit far fetched. He's only been in his new appointment for a few weeks. If anything you should be condemning the government for taking almost double the original time stipulated to complete the project. The lack of serious criticism of the government on the part public in general is the main reason for such monstrous inefficiencies. Though Labour supporters due tend to mope (as you put it), nationalist supporters on the other hand appear to be oblivous to the nepotism, maladministration, and abuse that still plagues their beloved party.

C. Spiteri (3 weeks, 6 days ago)

Dear Mr Daley. It seems that someone hasn't gotten over the electoral defeat. Fine that MD Bridge is a disgrace, but Minister Gatt managed to open the bridge, and he DOES deliver. - and no one, not even you with all due respect, can. It seems also that you are stuck to Super 1 (oh sorry. 'ONE') to blurt out a statement like 'handing part of Malta over to "GO Company''. The unfortunate thing is while the MLP is working hard to choose a good leader, the supporters will never change! Moping moping moping.

Have a nice day.

alfred stafrace (3 weeks, 6 days ago)

Do we, residents of this area, have to say thank you to the administation, for this inconvenience for almost 2 years?

Anthony A Mifsud (3 weeks, 6 days ago)

Now will we will have a Cowboy cutting the ribbon? I will not say well done I would insist on Way it took so long for us residents of that area, we had to endure the burden of that traffic, and killer fumes.

Who is responsible?

Tony

A. Camilleri (3 weeks, 6 days ago)

Well done for this long-awaited project. Thanks to the PN and mainly to Dr. Austin Gatt, we have our bridge back to normal. But now can you imagine the traffic jams at the large round-about on the Regional Road next to the former gas tanks/Sliema Road? Going into Sliema Road from the Regioanl Road should not be permitted between certain main periods - the rush hours principally. That is where one of the main problems lies; so please get this sorted out NOW. Thanks again for the Zammit Dimech Bridge, Dr. Gatt. Incidentally, and getting ex Minister Muliett joining in at the opening ceremony would be quite acceptable.

A Daley (3 weeks, 6 days ago)

Like him or not Austin Gatt is one of the few ministers who get things done, says someone.
That's right! Like handing part of Malta over to "GO Company", for the air that we breath!
Give us a break, will you!

Marco Brincat (3 weeks, 6 days ago)

Minister Gatt may be seen as somewhat arrogant by some but he is indeed a very effective minister!

WE NEED MORE PEOPLE LIKE HIM.

Words and good manners alone do not mean much in politics.

George Calleja (3 weeks, 6 days ago)

As a token of appreciation Dr Gatt should get ex Minister Jesmond Mugliett to officially re-open the Manuel Dimech bridge.

Malcolm Seychell (3 weeks, 6 days ago)

Like him or not Austin Gatt is one of the few ministers who get things done.

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Article © Allied Newspapers Ltd., printed on Friday, May 16, 2008. This article is for personal use only, and should not be distributed.

Both spans of Manwel Dimech Bridge to open on Monday

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