Just in time, some would say.

Before the onset of winter, the years-long project to alleviate the problems caused by rainwater floods in Qormi is set to be completed, a government spokesman said.

The €50 million project is to be completed by the end of this month, once the work on the last 100 metres in the upper part of the valley is finished.

The canal being built is able to handle 118 cubic metres of water per second, hopefully enough to mitigate the issues people living in Qormi – and those driving though the area – have had to face in past years.

Culverts have been constructed, junctions have been realigned and three bridges have been built as part of the project, the spokesman added.

The flood relief system, a project that started several years ago, is covering other areas of Malta, with the largest segment being the construction of a tunnel linking Attard to Ta’ Xbiex, which will enable the waters to flow directly into the sea, bypassing low-lying areas such as Balzan, Birkirkara and Msida.

But this part of the project will not be completed in time for this winter, as the works are expected to be concluded early next year.