Preliminary works on the rebuilding of the Marsa Junction got underway this morning when the demolition of a number of factories started.

Motorists won’t be affected until after March at the earliest, Transport Minister Ian Borg said this morning.

Speaking to reporters during an onsite visit, Dr Borg explained how the first phase of the €70 million project would see factories along Triq il-Labour demolished and preparatory street level works carried out.

The BIM and Astracast factories are both being demolished and will be relocated to the Hal Far Industrial Estate.

The whole project is expected to take around three years. It will involve the building of seven flyovers.

Asked about traffic mitigation, the minister said the same team that handled the traffic management plan for the Kappara Junction works, was in charge of easing the flow for the Marsa project.

Transport Malta CEO James Piscopo said traffic coming from the south of the island to the centre and back would be most affected by the overall project. Some 8,000 cars pass through the area every hour in peak traffic.

Mr Piscopo explained that the project was split across the phases, the first being the demolition, the second phases will encompass the street widening and the third, and most expensive phase, will see the construction of the seven structures that make up the fly over.

Work had already started to prune several large trees in the area to make way for the works. Dr Borg said any trees that could be saved and replanted would be. Some 400 new tress are expected to be planted as part of the project.

Dr Borg said the junction would also see the introduction of bicycle and motorcycle lanes, and a pedestrian lift.