‘Surprise’ Roadworks Lock Elderly Żabbar Residents Inside Their Homes
Ongoing roadworks at San Franġisk Alley, Żabbar, are keeping elderly residents locked up inside their homes.
Photos sent to Lovin Malta by a concerned resident show trenches dug up right next to a number of front doors.
“My elderly mother cannot even go out of her home without the risk of getting hurt”, one resident said.
“And it’s been like this for over a week…”
When contacted by Lovin Malta, Infrastructure Malta (IM) said that the street “can be easily reached from the three streets around it”.
“The agency commissioned its contractors to start rebuilding San Franġisk Alley this week as soon as the necessary resources became available, following numerous appeals from its residents to fix its dangerous surface, which had been left in a state of disrepair for many years,” Infrastructure Malta said.
Residents had also highlighted that they were not informed that such roadworks will be taking place, and only found out once the reconstruction began.
“The contractors are currently removing the alley’s old concrete surface. Due to its narrow width, they are only using small excavators. As soon as a section of the surface is excavated, workers are immediately clearing away the debris to reduce inconveniences to pedestrians and residents,“ Infrastructure Malta continued.
“Pedestrian access is being kept open by ensuring that all parts of the street are always accessible from one or more of its three access points to other nearby streets.”
The purpose of the trenches, IM said, is for the implementation of new underground ducts and pipelines in a bid to improve the residences’ provision of water and telecommunication services.
Lovin Malta is informed that closing works began earlier today.