An underground tunnel right through Mellieħa centre is among a number of proposals the local council has put forward to the government to alleviate traffic congestion especially during the summer months.

The council is also proposing the construction of a new road linking the St Paul’s Bay bypass to the Mellieħa bypass, and two innovative solutions to prevent further sand erosion at Għadira.

While such proposals have raised eyebrows due to the massive investment required and the environmental challenges they pose, the council is insisting it is now up to the government to determine their viability.

In the case of Għadira, the first option put forward is to build a new road further inland which would include an underground tunnel from Prajjet Street – the road leading to Popeye Village – up to the caravan site on the other side of the valley. The road would then link to Marfa Road at the junction just below the Red Tower at l-Aħrax tal-Mellieħa.

However, such a project is expected to prompt stiff resistance from environmental groups due to the ecological sensitivity of this area. In 2008, the Nationalist administration was forced to shelve plans for a new road next to the Danish Village and the Għadira Natural Reserve, which would have replaced the existing promenade.

The council is now proposing an alternative solution, which would involve raising the existing promenade on pillars. This would prevent further sand erosion as the beach would no longer be cut off from the valley.

Contacted by Times of Malta, Mellieħa mayor John Buttigieg acknowledged that the financial outlay for such projects was prohibitive and completely beyond the council’s resources.

While noting that talks were at a preliminary stage, he argued that the council felt the need to float the ideas to the central government.

“These are long-term projects which require massive funding and environmental studies, but it is now up to the government to delve into them and decide on their viability,” Mr Buttigieg said.

The ambitious proposals were presented to Parliamentary Secretary for Local Councils Stefan Buontempo on July 7, in a meeting for which all district MPs were invited. Since then, the council has received no feedback, but the Mellieħa mayor said they were looking forward to meeting the Infrastructure Minister for further talks.

One of the major issues currently faced by the council is the traffic along George Borg Olivier Street, which comes to a standstill whenever heavy vehicles or buses are approaching from opposing directions.

Previous attempts to limit the traffic flow in one direction or eliminate parking space to widen the road had been met by objections from the business community.

The council is proposing a tunnel linking the road below the Sanctuary of Our Lady to an area further up, near the Main Road near Triq l-Għoljiet or else directly to the village outskirts in Selmun.

Should this go ahead, traffic would only be allowed to flow towards Għadira Bay and the road would become semi-pedestrian. The council said the possibility of an underground car park should also be considered.