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Heritage committee opposing plans for four-lane coast road Plans by Transport Malta to widen the coast road from the existing two lanes to four lanes would have unacceptable environmental consequences, MEPA’s Heritage Advisory Committee (HAC) has warned. If approved, the road between the English Cemetery in Pembroke and the St Paul’s Bay roundabout, also known as Erba’ Mwieżeb, would be widened from the present two lanes to four, and will also include a centre strip, cycle lanes and footpaths. But according to the HAC, the widening of the road will result in the uptake of a considerable area of garigue including Natura 2000 sites, agricultural land, valley beds and coastline including the recently restored Salina canal. In its memo to the MEPA board, the HAC also claimed that Transport Malta has not provided any justification for widening the road which has already been recently upgraded adding that “other roads in poorer condition are more eligible for improvement”. The plans to transform the road form part of the European Ten-T project which involves the reconstruction of 14 km of roads and the widening and reconstruction of a further 12.4 km of roads from single to double lanes. The Ten-T plans also include controversial plans to re-route the existing Ghadira road through the construction of a road or tunnel passing behind the Ghadira nature reserve. The latter proposal was also shot down by the Heritage Advisory Commitee. Any comments? |
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