Msida Creek Project works underway: How did we get here?
Stone barriers line the Msida marina seafront as works on the creek project are underway, but how did we get here?
Construction work on the controversial Msida Creek Project has begun, as stone barriers line the marina seafront in the locality.
The project, which is set to be completed by 2027, will see an overhaul of road infrastructure in the junction which government promises will help ease traffic in one of the country’s busiest roads.
Approved by the Planning Authority in October 2023, the project has captured significant public attention, especially during the past months. EPE JV who made a bid of €34,700,007.77, were seen as the most suitable contractor for the project.
The project was first proposed in 2019 but plans were substantially revamped in 2022 to allocate more public spaces including a 2,200sq.m public square in front of the church and a water canal.
Environmentalists had welcomed the increase in public spaces but objected to the flyover as it still prioritised car traffic over other modes of travel.
Public debate on whether the flyover is needed ramped up when the Kamra tal-Periti put forward its radical proposal to transform Msida’s main square and do away with a proposed flyover.
The Kamra tal-Periti’s designs came at a very late stage when public contracts for works to redesign Msida Creek and build a flyover had already been awarded and signed. They suggested the creation of a wooded area in the square that would complement a formal open pjazza in front of the church.
The proposal also re-routes traffic along Valley Road and onto the junction that already exists near the reservoirs. Traffic from Valletta would loop at that junction to head back towards Ta’ Xbiex, while traffic from the Paceville area would have to proceed to the Valley Road bridge and take a slip road down to Valley Road thus avoiding the Skate Park area.
The KTP’s designs were welcomed by the Nationalist Party and its Msida councillors, leading to a U-turn on its approval for the project.
As recorded in the minutes of Local Council meetings held during the tenure of the previous council, when Margaret Baldacchino Cefai served as Labour Mayor, all Labour and Nationalist Councillors had agreed to the project.
But in October, the Nationalist-majority council officially came out against the construction of a flyover as part of Infrastructure Malta’s Msida Creek project.
In its motion, the council expressed its opposition and objected to the construction of the flyover in the centre of Msida and demanded Infrastructure Malta immediately and completely halt the process concerning the construction of the flyover.
Speakers during the press conference said although the Minister for Infrastructure is saying it is now too late, as long as the flyover has not yet been built, “we are still in time to stop it.”
Msida Mayor Charles Selvaggi emphasised the Nationalist councillors has always had reservations about the flyover and its effectiveness in solving the traffic problem, despite agreeing on the need for a project that regenerates Msida through open spaces.
He noted these reservations were also clearly documented in minutes taken during a Council meeting on 31 January 2023.
But government has not taken the council’s suggestions onboard, and decided to move ahead with the project.
In a press conference last month, Infrastructure Malta CEO Steve Ellul said while the agency continues to consult with the council, one has to keep in mind that consultation over the project began around four years ago, and the council at the time had approved it.
On the Kamra tal-Periti (KTP) proposals, Ellul said there is agreement on a number of principles between the two proposals.
“We both agree on open spaces, which the project caters for, and the need to reduce traffic in the area. I feel the projects strikes a balance between such needs and the reality of the area,” he said.
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