Bisazza Street, in Sliema will be closed to traffic between Tuesday and the end of May except for 15 days for the Easter break.

In an embellishment project costing €750,000, the road and pavement will be resurfaced with porfido tiles, pedestrian space will be increased, parking will no longer be allowed and electricity, drainage and water systems will be replaced.

The square that lies half way down this busy shopping thoroughfare will have two fountains, decorative lighting and benches. A monument will be set up in the centre of the square featuring three late Maltese actors sitting on chairs and sipping coffee, with a fourth empty seat inviting passers-by to have their photo taken there.

Free Wi-Fi will also be available in the square. There will no longer be a public convenience, which has been temporarily moved to the seafront and will then be incorporated in a future project in the area.

Speaking on a visit to the site, Resources Minister George Pullicino said the street would no longer look like a “car cemetery” but parking space in the wider area would not be reduced. Parking issues, he said, had to be seen in the light of the public transport reform.

Reacting to criticism about why work on the area started before the Qui-si-Sana project was concluded, Mr Pullicino said work on Bisazza Street had to start three weeks after the Christmas break to be completed by May. Work in Qui-si-Sana, due to have been completed by January 21, had to be put on hold due to heavy rainfall.

Mr Pullicino said the next project would be the Sliema seafront between the Nazarene church and Square Deal.

Work on Bisazza Street is being carried out between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.