The new Mrieħel underpass is expected to be completed by the end of September, with the roundabout above it to be completed by the end of the year, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Aaron Farrugia said.

The Mrieħel Underpass Project was launched last year, entailing the building of a new 60-metre tunnel connecting Mdina Road with the Mrieħel bypass at the junction next to the Malta Financial Services Authority offices.

Infrastructure Malta (IM) completed the excavation of the cut-and-cover underpass in February and has started erecting 290 precast concrete panels to form its walls. This week, workers lifted in place the first of 16 prestressed concrete beams, each weighing six tonnes, that will support the tunnel roof.

IM will continue the project with the new roundabout above it once the tunnel is ready, as well new pedestrian and cycling crossings and landscape areas.

Farrugia said that this investment will continue to minimise bottlenecks and complement the Central Link Project. It will also address traffic and focus on improving safety and security of people, particularly by creating safer pedestrian and cycling crossings.

Infrastructure Malta CEO Trustin Farrugia Cann said that the improvement of roads is a continuous process because the travelling needs in our country are ever-changing.

He said that to continue meeting these needs, there needs to be continuous investments in better and more sustainable roads.