Temporary traffic arrangements in Attard as part of the reconstruction of Triq il-Linja have left much to be desired, as hundreds of motorists are ending up gridlocked each morning.

Announced last Friday, the works took many by surprise, including the local council, which expressed its disappointment that it had neither been notified nor consulted.

Though the project only affects a stretch of 250 metres along a residential road, it happens that in recent years Triq il-Linja has become a preferred alternative for commuters wanting to avoid Triq in-Nutar Zarb.

According to Infrastructure Malta, excavation work to replace underground services and laying new asphalt will take to the end of this week. Until that time, motorists are advised to follow the alternate routes indicated by roadside signs, while traffic management officers will be on site to offer assistance.

Alternate routes cannot cope with volume of traffic

However, from the very first day it was very clear the mitigating measures were not up to scratch, with tailbacks up to Mosta and Ta’ Qali.

Irate motorists who spoke to this newspaper expressed their frustration that the alternate routes selected by Infrastructure Malta could not cope with the large volume of traffic.

While noting that no officer was around to ensure that there was no double parking, some pointed out that in certain narrow stretches, authorities should have considered a temporary parking ban in order to widen the road capacity.

Meanwhile, the Attard council welcomed the decision to carry out the infrastructural project but at the same time took issue with the fact that it had been kept in the dark.

In a statement, it noted it was completely unaware of the deviations in place, which it said had resulted in “complete chaos”.

Criticism was also levelled by the Attard Residents Environmental Network on the grounds that the lack of planning had resulted in more toxic emissions for the villagers.