As a resident of Marsascala Road, Zabbar, I fail to find adjectives which adequately describe the poor state of this main thoroughfare.
Recently an outgoing MP sent a communication regarding Government's plan to resurface our road. Most probably this initiative has been taken because the road will soon need to accommodate a heavier volume of traffic. It is rumoured that the Marsascala bypass is programmed for a rehaul. It will be closed "for a while" and this means that all Marsascala-bound traffic will be using this (old) road.
There are various reasons why our road is in such a poor state. The main problem, however, is not the volume of traffic but the volume of water which flows through it. In recent years fields in Zabbar which used to serve as drainage points for rainwater have been built over. These no longer offer relief from the kilolitres of water, so that all rainwater from the Zabbar area 'trickles' down our road and eventually into Marsascala.
In recent years it has been impossible to drive through this road after a heavy downpour. At times even rescue services have been called in to help stranded drivers. I am sure that our Marsascala neighbours (especially those who live in the vicinity of the square) have much to say on this subject. They must deal with the water collecting from the Zabbar area and also with that which collects from the actual stretch of the Zabbar-Marsascala road which is about 1.5 km long.
Resurfacing this road will not address the problem. It will definitely be eye-catching and offer good political propaganda. What our road needs is an adequate culvert system starting from where the road begins, i.e. Sanctuary Street, Zabbar, all the way down to Marsascala to be able to accommodate the volume of water. A new surface of tarmac will then last a long time because without the damage the water causes to the road surface, it will be a matter of wear-and-tear. I urge all residents to call upon all those responsible to convince them that simple resurfacing will only be taking for a ride all residents and also those who make use of this road.