Parts of the island will face gridlock tonight when major arterial roads are closed off to accommodate a festa fireworks display, traffic management expert Hugh Arnett has warned.

“With all the roadworks going on at the moment, closing off other major roads could easily bring traffic across the island to a near standstill,” he said.

Mr Arnett was reacting to a police statement issued on Thursday announcing that the Mrieħel bypass, Marsa-Ħamrun bypass and parts of the Regional Road, including the tunnels, would be closed off tonight for the fireworks of the Santa Venera feast.

A veteran traffic expert, Mr Arnett said roadworks such as the Coast Road revamp were already putting too much stress on traffic management systems.

In light of this, he believes it would have made sense to cancel this year’s display.