Tempers flared yesterday as drivers got stuck in a massive traffic jam that snaked through the main roads of St Paul’s Bay after the Coast Road was temporarily closed for works.

Some motorists spent nearly two hours in the same spot in the scorching heat, and the police had to issue a statement appealing for calm.

Some drivers simply abandoned their cars in the middle of the road to seek shelter from the sun.

This newspaper also received reports that several bus passengers required assistance, with some nearly fainting in the packed, stationary vehicles.

“It took me nearly two hours to get to work from Xemxija to Qawra, which is normally a short distance,” an angry hotel worker told the Times of Malta.

Many others vented their frustration on social media, where they lashed out at authorities and accused them of “incompetence” and “bad planning”.

They also questioned the timing of the closure in the peak tourist season, when the population of seaside towns like St Paul’s Bay soars.

The Coast Road – a busy arterial road stretching 7.5 kilometres which is being rebuilt from scratch – was completely closed on Monday and is expected to reopen on Friday morning.

Although the €53 million project was originally scheduled to be completed by the start of the summer, the deadline has been repeatedly postponed. The Transport Ministry blames archaeological discoveries at Salini for this delay.

Motorists at the Kappara roundabout were urged to take a detour through San Ġwann.

Faced with a barrage of criticism, the transport watchdog yesterday issued a statement apologising for the delays. However, it justified the complete closure of the Coast Road, saying traffic could not be allowed to pass over the material, which is being laid in preparation for the asphalt (binder course).

“This road closure will improve the deadline by around three weeks and will avoid future closures in more critical times,” the authority said, pointing out that works were even being done at night.

Transport Malta and the police urged motorists to use alternative routes – through the Mġarr bypass, Mosta and Birkirkara. Their advice was not much help when these roads too became gridlocked.

The Transport Ministry did not reply to questions, among others asking for the date of completion of the project. A spokeswoman referred this newspaper to the statement issued earlier.

The situation only returned to normal at about 11.30am, by which time traffic was moving freely around the Kennedy Grove area and St Paul’s Bay.

However, many expressed their concern that the situation would keep repeating itself in the coming days.

Since Monday we can no longer buy our groceries from Swieqi and have to face the ordeal of spending about an hour in traffic to reach the closest shop

The St Paul’s Bay council described yesterday’s traffic chaos as “harrowing”, saying the locality was paralysed for the entire morning.

The council urged the police and Transport Malta to take measures to mitigate the situation and called for better planning. It said the “unacceptable” traffic management was even hindering access to Mellieħa and the Gozo ferry service.

Works underway on the Coast Road.

It also called for more police presence on the roads, noting that yesterday morning the Erba’ Mwieżeb roaundabout, next to Kennedy Grove, was being manned by just one police officer. Meanwhile, Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq residents, living near the Porzjuncola retreat house, complained they had been completely forgotten by the authorities.

They recounted how the road had been left a complete mess for more than three months, during which no work was carried out, forcing them to drive through a construction site.

“Since Monday we can no longer buy our groceries from Swieqi and have to face the ordeal of spending about an hour in traffic to reach the closest shop in Naxxar, as there are no retail outlets in our neighbourhood,” a resident said.

Traffic tweets and Times of Malta blog

#Malta in gridlock as arterial roads close at peak season. Businesses losing out, employees can’t get to work. #mayhem – Roberta Metsola PN MEP

From Bugibba/Qawra to Burmarrad and Kennedy Grove is hopeless. Cars are not moving. – Maltese Traffic @Maltese_Traffic

For those stuck in the coast road traffic, the police told you to keep calm. #Malta – @Maltese_traffic @MaltaPolice Robert Sammut @sammutr

How am I supposed to avoid the area if I live in Salina and the work place is in St Julian’s? They should be at it 24/7 to get the job done asap! – Doreen Gatt