Alfred Sant yesterday again called a news conference about the St Paul’s Bay by-pass, saying that though it had been rebuilt and inaugurated officially last July, a substantial part of it which had collapsed seven years ago was still closed to traffic and work on roundabouts at one end was only half completed.

However, a few hours after the press conference, the Malta Transport Authority said that an agreement had been reached between the government and the Polidano Group for work to start on Monday.

Dr Sant described it as another case which confirmed the government’s incompetence, and again called on the prime minister to remove Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett “because he is one of the most disastrous ministers”.

The Labour leader said the rebuilding of the by-pass should have been completed by last May, then that date was moved to the end of June, and the by-pass was eventually opened in the first week of July, costing some Lm500,000 more than planned. But the section which had collapsed seven years ago was still closed to traffic.

Mr Mugliett had said that to avoid going to court and wait for sentence to be handed down, his ministry had in the previous months been negotiating with the contractor responsible for the collapse, so that the contractor would do the necessary repairs. The minister was optimistic of a solution.

At the by-pass’ inauguration the minister announced that the collapsed section was going to be rebuilt at the cost of the contractor who had caused the damage, and would be ready by September. December had come and the section was still closed to traffic, Dr Sant said, recalling that the collapse was the result of illegal excavation by the contractor.

An article in a newspaper last October said the government had warned the contractor to accept to make good for the damage by October 12, or the government would do the work itself and sue for the costs. This was not done. Government sources were quoted saying that the Office of the Prime Minister had ordered the contractor to start the work immediately but then in the budget debates Mr Mugliett said there were legal issues which had to be resolved.

Dr Sant said it was not acceptable to have such a situation. He had called the news conference, he said, not because of the contractor’s behaviour but to condemn the government for not having yet repaired the collapsed section seven years after the collapse.

In its statement, ADT said that work on the 300 metre stretch will be starting on Monday. The by-pass will therefore be closed to traffic, at least for five days, during the first phase of the project.

The road will be reopened to traffic when this first phase is completed. ADT said it will take legal steps if the contractor does not finish the work in the established time.