The shooting of a new Christian Bale film in Attard caused extensive traffic jams yesterday as motorists were not warned of a road closure.

San Anton Road in Attard was closed to traffic for the filming of The Promise, a major motion picture set at the fall of the Ottoman Empire.

The tailback stretched as far as Rabat, clogging Attard and neighbouring localities like Balzan, in scenes reminiscent of the gridlock which gripped the island after last week’s storm.

Pierre Ellul, whose production service company Falkun Films is working on the film, said the road was only closed yesterday and would be open to vehicles today.

“We were shooting a scene outside Villa Bologna. We will now be moving inside and won’t block the street. All we’ll have is a few vehicles parked by the side of the road,” Mr Ellul said.

It is not our responsibility to inform motorists that any roads would be closed

Apologising for any inconvenience caused to motorists, Mr Ellul said the authorities had all been informed of the closure before the shoot.

“Obviously it is standard procedure in the industry to tell all parties of the closure and to obtain the necessary permits. It is not our responsibility to inform motorists that any roads would be closed,” he said.

The transport authorities did not issue a statement about the closure yesterday.

A Transport Malta spokesman, however, said that although permits had been issued for a ‘temporary road closure’, these were given on condition that the public was informed by the film’s producers of the closure.

“The producers were to inform the public about the closure and were to have a warden to manage traffic on site,” the spokesman said.

The unannounced road closure exasperated the traffic situation in the area which had a number of other roads closed due to maintenance works.

The film, starring Academy Award winner Bale, is set to be released late next year. Little is known about the production other than it is about a love triangle.