Mepa this morning agreed to issue the full development permit for a major upgrade of the Coast Road.

The project will see the reconstruction, widening and upgrading of the
arterial road from Pembroke to Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq and Burmarrad.

The road will be widened by some 10m, turning it into a dual two-lane carriageway in works expected to last 18 months. A number of water reservoirs will be built. 

Access to the arterial road will be redesigned, including an upgrading of the entrance to the Splash and Fun Park, and the area adjacent to the Redoubt in
Baħar ic-Ċagħaq. The works will also include the removal of some trees and rubble walls.

The mature trees which line the Kennedy Drive in the Salina area have been incorporated into the project and will serve as a central strip. 

The road is expected to have bicycle lanes.

Approx 16,000sq m of land will be taken for the road widening. However a design which would have involved a significant area of agricultural land in Burmarrad has been dropped.

The project will be carried out by Transport Malta.

The Authority imposed a €200,000 bank guarantee to ensure that Transport Malta abide by all the permit conditions.

Mepa also imposed a Planning Gain whereby the applicant has to implement, in consultation with the local council, an embellishment project in the green area that leads into Bahar ic-Caghaq. In the event that the applicant fails to implement the embellishment within 5 years from the issue of this permit, a contribution of €100,000 shall be made to Mepa’s EIPP fund to be used for the same purpose.

Provision will be made for new, safe access to the White Rocks area, for which a separate development application would need to be submitted.