It’s always a pleasure to find that some traffic management concern is looked at, even if it is not fully dealt with and not to my satisfaction.

Reference is once again made to the San Pawl tat Tarġa/Salina road on the approaches to the killer bend.

The rumble strips have been replaced and, as they are less intrusive than the originals, we hope that they may last far longer. At any rate, they are not quite so unpleasant for small wheels or narrow tyres.

However, the warning slow sign should be painted before the first set of rumble strips, otherwise the unwary, or those unfamiliar with the road, will get an unpleasant surprise when they hit the first traffic-calming obstruction from either direction at normal Maltese speeds.

This all brings me back to the traffic-calming measures on the Salina Road.

As can be seen from the accompanying photo, a raised centre has been placed with four normally lit ‘keep left’ bollards.

This area is very badly lit at night and the number of dangerously inebriated people driving from the direction of Salina every weekend is rather frightening.

When I was employed as a traffic management consultant with the ADT, and before that, working for Major Peter Ripard on the Traffic Control Board, we always tried to err on the side of safety when it came to the possibility of someone making a mistake that could prove costly or a risk to life or limb.

I fear that with the summer temptations just ahead, someone will approach the corner too fast, get into a slide, thump the raised centre strip and flip over at considerable speed, with much damage to self, passengers, car and quite probably anyone in the vicinity coming from Naxxar.

I would have constructed a 7cm-high mountable strip with the knockable ‘keep left’ signs that are effective without electricity and, as they are on gimbals, they come upright after being struck, with lower repair costs than is incurred when the electric bollards are broken.

Much interest has been shown in the road-widening project for the Coast Road, and when Mayor Paul Vella from Mġarr invited me to accompany him to a symposium during which the Coast Road, among other topics, had to be discussed, I agreed.

Initially, and for at least 10 minutes, I was accepted. Then came a phone call stating that mayors or deputy mayors (who often have little or no interest in traffic management) were the only people who could attend. Fine. Let me reiterate some points I have raised before.

I fear that with the summer temptations just ahead, someone will approach the corner too fast, get into a slide, thump the raised centre strip and flip over at considerable speed with much damage to self

At once, now, before summer hits us, ensure that traffic cannot cross the Coast Road into or out of Kennedy Drive, the road leading up to the Bella Vista Hotel.

This junction is the cause of massive traffic congestion. Forget the proposed roundabout at the Coast Road end of the Salina/Naxxar road, because as traffic on a major road, the Coast Road will have right of way over traffic on the minor road – that leading from Naxxar where the traffic will still be at a deadlock over the weekends. Put some traffic lights at this junction, preferably now.

I fail to understand how a four-lane highway can cope with the section from the Coastline Language School without encroaching on the salt pans or seeing the destruction of the recently restored Knights’ period building and adjacent Fougasse (hand-carved stone cannon, able to blast tons of rocks into Salina Bay).

Or are we going to see the parameters changed and a section of three-lane highways constructed, hopefully with two permanent lanes going towards St Paul’s Bay and one lane from the Salina junction towards the Coastline?

This still leaves the glorious tree-lined stretch from Kennedy Drive towards the end of the St Paul’s Bay bypass, where certain sacrifices will have to be made to allow a four-lane road. Let’s hope not to the detriment of the trees, which are many decades old.

When this interesting project is finished, one may hope that minimum speed limits are posted on at least the outer lanes.

That would allow slow-moving vehicles to crab along, enjoying the views on the inner lane with normal drivers going a bit faster on the outer lane, hopefully able to catch the ferry of their choice.