Transport Malta has proposed two alternatives to its original plan for the redevelopment of the Kennedy Drive segment of the Coast Road Project stretching from Bahar iċ-Ċagħaq to St Paul’s Bay.
In a newspaper advert, the transport authority called on all those affected by the project to view the plans at their Sta Venera offices by September 16.
The alternatives, pictured below, both ensure that the existing trees in Kennedy Grove will be kept.
The first alternative will completely shift the existing road to the perimeter of the Salini Park project.
“The aim of this option is to improve the curve radius at this location and at the same time avoid felling the trees adjacent to the road. This option will also allow the trees to form part of a possible park extension,” a spokesman for Transport Malta said, pointing out that the existing road would be “regenerated” to form part of the park.
This proposal would also mean elevating the road to allow water to pass through the valley so that the nearby fields will not be prone to flooding.
The second option involves widening the existing road to create two carriageways with Kennedy Grove trees in between.
This option will include a “smoother curve” from the proposed new roundabout where Salina Road meets the Coast Road on the way to Kennedy Drive.
“These two alternatives, which are currently under consideration by Mepa, shall ameliorate the present transport situation both in terms of journey time and safety,” the spokesman said.
An Environment Impact Assessment is being carried out on the proposals, he added.
The Coast Road project was first announced in 2009 as part of the European Ten-T project, which is an EU-wide network of roads being upgraded, partly funded by the EU.
In Malta this involves the reconstruction of 14 kilometres of roads and the widening and reconstruction of a further 12.4 kilometres of roads from single to double lanes.
The Coast Road connects the northern part of the island to the harbour region and is prone to heavy traffic. Due to lack of space for overtaking it is also a well-known black spot for traffic accidents.