‘The Dream Has Been Crushed’: Cobbled Street In Paola Replaced With Tarmac
A cobbled street in Paola is being replaced with tarmac for the sake of heavy vehicles since the stones have sunken under the pressure.
“The dream has been crushed,” Maltese architect Christopher Mintoff wrote on social media, explaining that heavy vehicles in the street were supposed to be banned to protect the paving.
“Part of the initiative to have a major square in the south that prioritises pedestrians and local users has been scrapped away and the cobblestones have been replaced with the same material that is found in every bypass and main road.”
A three-week resurfacing project started almost two weeks ago to replace the stones with 2,700 square metres of stone mastic asphalt in high-traffic areas, while exposed aggregate concrete will offer an alternative for those parts with lower vehicle loads, according to Labour-owned Journal.mt.
Mintoff explained that the cobbled street was well-engineered, it just required maintenance and thought of the vehicles that crossed over it. In fact, the side streets where no industrial traffic passed had no damages, he said.
“Heavy industrial traffic was meant to be banned from the square (to reduce noise, pollutants, etc).”
“Yet, before the materials could fully cure, the square was used as a diversion for the heaviest of industrial traffic while the Marsa project was taking place.”
“The cobbled street promoted slower traffic, smaller vehicles, and pedestrian activity across the space. It never stood a chance. The space is divided once again,” he concluded, showing clear disappointment at the step away from pedestrianisation in the south that Infrastructure Malta has taken.
A project like this required an adequate traffic and maintenance management plans that would have ensured the longevity of the cobblestones.
Featured image: Christopher Mintoff.
Do you agree with the government’s decision to get rid of the cobblestones in Paola?
READ NEXT: Minister Byron Camilleri ‘Fully Concurs’ With Abela’s EU Defence Spending Criticism
