Last May saw the commencement of works on 33 rural roads around the country; roads which are used both by farmers and as secondary routes between localities. This project will lead to the rebuilding of more than 30 kilometres of roads.
This work, which was started by Transport Malta’s Roads and Infrastructure Directorate and continued by Infrastructure Malta, is well underway. In fact, 15% of planned works were completed during the last months and weeks, including Triq ir-Remel in Żebbuġ, the road leading to St Peter’s Pool in Marsaxlokk, an unnamed road in the area of Triq San Ġużepp in Żabbar, Trejqet Kostinjuż in Naxxar, the road in the San Niklaw area between Siġġiewi and Qrendi, and Triq il-Ġebel in Birzebbugia.
Work is currently underway on 10 additional kilometres, which include Triq Ħal Far and Triq Bengħajsa in Żurrieq, the road next to the Malta International Airport in the Safi area, Triq iż-Żinżell in Marsascala, Triq il-Kotob and Triq Santu Kristu in Żejtun, Triq l-Għarix and part of Triq San Niklaw in Qrendi, Triq iċ-Ċens l-Iswed and Triq Wied il-Bużbież in Mtaħleb, Triq il-Palma between Mellieħa and Mġarr, part of Triq Xrobb l-Għaġin between Żejtun and Marsaxlokk, as well as another rural road in the Żebbuġ area in Marsaxlokk as well.
The coming months will see the commencement of works on the remaining roads, so that the project may be completed by the middle of next year.
In every road being rebuilt, Infrastructure Malta is coordinating work with entities providing water, electrical and telecommunication services, so that necessary systems for the same area are placed before the laying of foundations and new asphalt. This reduces the risk of digging up these roads a short while after being rebuilt. Where necessary, storm water catchment and flood prevention systems are also being created. Some of these roads which wind among fields had not been repaired as necessary for decades. In fact, one of the challenges of the project is that some of them had never been given the necessary foundations to strengthen the road for the weight of vehicles.
Commenting on this work, Minister Borg said, “This is the way we will be working on our country’s infrastructure; coordinated work between Infrastructure Malta, concerned entities and local councils, to ensure that our projects lead not only to improvements on road surfaces but also on both essential and ancillary services, so that each project will lead to holistic improvement. Work on rural roads is an essential investment for Maltese farmers, residents who use them as secondary routes, cyclists as well as anyone who walks and exercises along these beautiful roads. Infrastructural work has gained good momentum, and I look forward to more hard work so that we can improve the level of infrastructure of all our roads in a way which befits Maltese and Gozitan citizens.”
This project on rural roads is taking place through an investment of around €11 million co-financed by the European Union. As part of the same project of the European Union’s European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, funds were also allocated to several local councils for the rebuilding of 30 additional roads in the countryside which fall within their responsibility.
Apart from these projects, Infrastructure Malta is also carrying out other works financed by the government to improve more roads in the countryside so they can reach the necessary levels of quality for today’s means of transport. In fact, 11 other roads have been rebuilt from scratch since the beginning of the year while work is still underway on another five; in total, 10 more kilometres of rural roads rebuilt from scratch in Żebbuġ, Siġġiewi, Baħrija, Rabat, Żejtun, Armier, Kunċizzjoni, Żurrieq and Mtaħleb. Similar works on rural roads in a number of other localities will be carried out in the coming months.