The Mriehel - Qormi project is still in the planning and consultation stage, and no final decision has been taken over it, Infrastructure Minister Aaron Farrugia has said.

PN MP Jerome Caruana Cilia asked minister Farrugia, in a Parliamentary Question, what the plan is for the project.

Last legislature, Qormi farmers and residents were up in arms against plans for a new flyover in the Mriehel Bypass, which was going to take up arable land.

Farrugia previously said that he is willing to discuss to limit the environmental damage.

Responding to the Parliamentary Question, Farrrugia said that the need for a project for more safety on the Mriehel Bypass is specified within the National Transport Plan for 2025. “In fact, the improvement of the Imriehel Bypass is listed as the eighth most important project that Malta needs to carry out in its main road network that form part of the TEN-T European Network.”

“The need for safety improvements on this road is also specified clearly as a worrying difficulty in the Central Malta Local Plan. This plan identifies the safety improvements of the Imriehel Bypass as one of the main priorities,” Farrugia responded.

“Another aim of this proposed project, he said, is the introduction of new facilities for alternative modes of transport, including cycling and walking between Mriehel and Qormi.”

At the end of 2021, he said, Infrastructure Malta announced the start of the planning and consultation process of the improvement of the junction between the Mriehel Bypass (Vjal ir-Royal Malta Artillery) and Triq in-Negozju, a dangerous situation that has long needed to be removed as many ugly accidents have taken place, a number of which resulted in deaths.