Pedestrians forgotten at bypass

A year after St Paul's Bay by-pass was declared ready and open to traffic, work still lingers on at this much hyped project. I was about to nominate it to Discovery Channel's Megabuilders series but then I learned that in modern countries such projects (road resurfacing) are the order of the day.

The infamous section of the road that had collapsed, some nine years ago, and logically was the part that should have been given priority, is the part that has remained unfinished.

Finally, after many false starts and setbacks, work on this collapsed section seems to be proceeding at an acceptable rate to reach the umpteenth deadline (end of August). This does not excuse the fact that this project has taken far too long to be completed and has caused a multitude of inconveniences to the public.

However, I will not delve into why it has taken so long, in this age of high-tech constructions. That might take even longer.

What is offensive now is that once again ADT has ignored the fact that while work is being carried out, there are still people living in the adjacent Tal-Fjuri area. As things are, pedestrians have no safe access to and from Xemxija.

The westbound road section does not have a sidewalk while the other side is engulfed in construction work.

There is no other way to walk down to the nearest bus station other than having to walk in the middle of the narrow and sloping centre strip.

Each time one is in clear danger that one might either slip into trenches to one side or topple over to the other side to be run over by passing traffic.

Is it possible that no one had the presence of mind to cater for the safety of pedestrians who need to pass through?

With a little extra effort the existing water gutter alongside the westbound lane could have been covered and shielded off by makeshift railings to act as a safe passageway.

I hope ADT does not wait for an accident to happen before taking action.