Roads have also played their part during election time, particularly so in local council elections where parochial issues are very much at the forefront.
The roads sector can be divided into several parts. There are new connections that need to be built, there are existing roads that need to be rearranged to allow traffic to flow better, there are others that need constant maintenance to keep them in good working order, and there are residential roads that have never been done.
Starting from the latter, the government has embarked on a massive project that will see the building of some 400 residential roads over a period of years. Some of them have been on the waiting list for quite some time now, and residents rightly complain that they are fed up with the situation, particularly when it rains during winter. They now know that sooner or later their turn will come.
More importantly in general terms, a project to improve the road networking in Malta is also on the cards. A few weeks ago, Urban Development and Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett held two public consultation meetings to discuss 13 road projects which are planned to be carried out between 2007 and 2013.
These projects form part of the Trans-European Network-Transport (TEN-T), and are expected to cost e315 million, to be financed by the European Union.
All 13 stretches need to be seen to. The number of cars on our roads has increased rapidly over the past years, and junctions that could withstand the flow 10 or 20 years ago are no longer suitable for the amount of cars that they have to handle.
Traffic jams are the order of the day in a number of central intersections and a traffic lights system is not always helpful.
And this is the reason why new roads need to be constructed while others have to be rearranged to fall in line with present-day requirements. In all, 14 kilometres of roads will be built, another 12 kilometres will be widened and 2.3 kilometres will be realigned. Eighteen bridges will be rehabilitated and another 11 will be rebuilt, while nine new ones will be constructed.
Of course, the 13 projects will not be carried out at the same time and they will, no doubt, lead to some inconvenience until they are completed. What is important at this stage is that the ministry
responsible plans out the projects in detail, so that they will be carried out in the least time possible. Too often we have had roads that took much longer than needed to be finished.
What is also crucial is that roads that will be used more as traffic is redirected until the work is completed are up to standard before the main project actually begins.
This takes us to another sore point, that of road maintenance. Roads are not something that can be placed in a glass box to be admired. They are there to be used and therefore need to be maintained
properly.
Drivers and the public in general have often been let down in this respect. There have been several cases when road maintenance – and this does not only include the roads falling under the direct responsibility of the government only, but also those under the jurisdiction of local councils – was not sufficient. Covered potholes become craters within a few days and tarmac laid has given in quite rapidly too.
In today’s day and age, having good roads and connections that take people from point A to point B in the least time possible are a must. Solid road building and efficient maintenance work are not impossible to achieve.