The soil had not been removed when the road was built in the 1980s. That is probably the reason why the road continually subsided and no amount of patching could remedy the situation.

This has necessitated removing an additional half metre of soil and rubble in order to give the newly rebuilt road solid foundations.

The Italian contractor, Mr Bassillotta, told The Malta Independent on Sunday that work was progressing well. Although the Sicilian workers will go home for a week in August, Mr Bassillotta is confident the road will be open in both directions by September.

This is the longest stretch of road being built in the current road works schedule. It is 2.2 km long but is blessedly free from the problem of underlying services.

When Mr Bassillotta’s team moves on to the second phase of the road – from the SMW Cortis roundabout to the Zebbug Gate roundabout – they will come up against this underlying services problem with a vengeance.

The work which is being done now is concentrated on Phase One of the three lots: Lot 1 is from the Qlejgha roundabout to near the Mtarfa cemetery; Lot 2 is the Saqqajja roundabout to the Cortis roundabout and Lot 3 is the stretch of Mdina Road from Shopwise to the Siggiewi roundabout.

Some lots range from Phase One to Phase Six, and work will soon start on more phases of the same lots, informed sources told The Malta Independent.

It is estimated that work on Lots 1 and 2 is ahead of schedule while work on Lot 3, where additional problems cropped up, is now catching up fast.

As regards the problem at Qlejgha caused by the 50-year old Enemalta cable, this problem has now been solved and the cable renewed and relocated to the service duct.

Meanwhile, people visiting the Trade Fair or passing through San Pawl tat-Targa on their way to Bugibba were still facing mammoth queues on Friday evening while the Naxxar Bypass, almost ready but still not quite, stood abandoned at the side with barriers impeding access. The government missed out on a rare chance there to show that work on roads is well in hand and that completion dates are kept. Instead there was the usual farce of people blaming each other.