Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg and Minister for European Affairs and Equality Edward Zammit Lewis visited the site where work has commenced on the second Marsa-Ħamrun Bypass project, which is being implemented by Infrastructure Malta with an investment of €2.25 million thanks to European funds.
“The commitment towards higher quality, more efficient and safer infrastructure continues. 2019 was the year during which we invested €64 million in 14 projects on arterial roads. And our work continues. We cannot forget that this artery has already benefitted from a €5 million investment last year where the bypass was rebuilt and widened, a project that led to a 42% reduction in travelling time”, said Minister Ian Borg.
He explained that now, two new connections will be created, which will lead to an addition of more than 600 metres of lanes, a project that extends from Canon Road in Santa Venera to the roundabout in Qormi Road where a widening project has just been completed towards improved efficiency together with better access and safety for pedestrians near the Maltapost office.
This project will build an existing road that is seldom used because it is a dead end. It will be lengthened to join Canon Road with the Southbound carriageway of the bypass, and apart from leading to better connections, will also offer another alternative for the existing route travelling to the roundabout beneath the Mrieħel Bypass flyover.
The second part of the project includes the addition of a lane in the slipway connecting the Marsa-Ħamrun Bypass to the roundabout beneath the bridge between Marsa and Qormi towards improved access to the heart of Ħamrun, while a fourth lane will be created in the Southbound carriageway of the Marsa-Ħamrun Bypass.
Regarding services, the walk-through culvert being built beneath the bypass will be extended and new telecommunication services will be installed underground.
“Today we are here because this is a Government that does not look at road infrastructure improvements as the implementation of a layer of asphalt over the mess underneath. This is a Government that wants true improvement. And that is why we want to see improvements in the road surface but above all improvements in everything passing beneath the road, whether it is foundations or services and improvements even with regard to road safety. We are here because it is no longer a time when infrastructural projects begin and end and remain that way for decades, as if roads are not a dynamic and living things. Because today we constantly work to see to the improvement of everything we have already done, and we plan projects holistically. Because when we say that we are committed to deliver benefits to the people, we are truly working to deliver what we promise and that includes the highest quality infrastructure”, concluded Minister Ian Borg.
From his end, Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said that this project is another fine example of this administration’s success in its effective use of European funds, success which benefits all of society. In fact, the Marsa-Ħamrun bypass project forms part of the comprehensive Ten-T Network which includes the Kappara and Marsa Junction projects, along with the Central Link Project along Attard and Mrieħel, with a total investment of €65 million, including €40 million absorbed from European funds.
“These projects are continuously improving our citizens’ quality of life, not only from a traffic point of view, but also from an environmental perspective as the better infrastructure is resulting in less emissions in Malta’s most busy roads. Moreover, this project will further improve the pedestrians’ and the cyclists’ safety and accessibility as more people reap the benefits of a better infrastructure for all”, concluded Minister Zammit Lewis.