Italian Protocol road upgrade programme - Milestones

May 9, 2004 - Three tenders for the reconstruction of roads funded under the Fifth Italo-Maltese Financial Protocol are awarded to three Italian contractors. The Italian firms are Ergon Engineering, F.lli Anastasi Snc and F.lli Basillotta Srl. Two of these, Ergon Engineering and F.lli Anastasi Snc, enrolled Maltese companies, Polidano Brothers Ltd and Asfaltar Co. Ltd, respectively, to execute the works.

June 1, 2004 - The Malta Transport Authority signs three separate contracts with the Italian contractors. The works on around 12 km of road between Luqa and Targa Gap are split into three lots. The original term of the works was the end of September, 2005.

June 10, 2004 - Works start on Lot 1 on Triq Buqana. The contractors on the other lots mobilise before June 17.

September 18, 2004 - The contractor working on Lot 1 starts laying precast common service ducts. These two-metre high ducts are placed below the surface of these roads to carry a wide variety of services infrastructure. They are large enough to allow workmen to work in a standing position while carrying out maintenance works.

October 24, 2004 - The first base course of the project (the first layer of asphalt) is laid on Triq Buqana in the limits of Ta' Qali.

November 21, 2004 - Three more contracts are signed with as many Italian contractors, who are brought on board in the project. Società Internazionale Gallerie srl and Mattioli SpA are given works on two stretches, which did not form part of the original extent of the project. Integra srl is engaged to work on a road that had earlier formed part of Lot 2. This is required to ensure that the strict deadlines are met since the contractor engaged on Lot 2 was having problems keeping to the timelines set. The project now covers some 16.5 km of arterial roads - 10 per cent of the road network.

December 20, 2004 - The base course is laid on the northbound carriageway of Mdina Road between Zebbug and Rabat.

Early January, 2005 - The three Italian contractors engaged in November mobilise and start work on Siggiewi Road, Zebbiegh Road and Mdina Road between the roundabout junction next to De Rohan Gate and the roundabout junction next to St Dorothy's school in Zebbug.

January 25, 2005 - The Maltese sub-contractor engaged on Lot 3 starts works on the southernmost tip of the project at Qormi Road in Luqa. Work was in hand at no fewer than 12 construction sites along the route at this stage of the project.

May 10, 2005 - The contractor assigned to Lot 3 starts laying the wearing course (the topmost layer of asphalt) on the 1.6-km stretch of Mdina Road linking Zebbug to Qormi. This asphalt is made with imported aggregate that does not wear off as easily as locally produced aggregate. This also offers better skid resistance, resulting in shorter braking distances. The road is completed and opened to traffic on May 16.

May 26, 2005 - A second stretch of Mdina Road - 2.2 km long - linking Zebbug to Rabat is completed and opened to traffic.

July 25, 2005 - The whole length of Lot 1 - 3.1 km - between the roundabout near the Mtarfa Military Cemetery and the Targa Gap roundabout is completed and opened to traffic a few weeks ahead of schedule. This brings the total length of roads opened to date to around seven kilometres.

August 22-September 3, 2005 - Three of Malta's largest asphalt-producing plants work around the clock as three contractors lay wearing course on three stretches, which are nearing completion.

September 3-7, 2005 - Three more road stretches reach practical completion stage and are opened to traffic. These are Siggiewi Road, connecting Zebbug to Siggiewi, a 1.4-km stretch of Mdina Road between the roundabout junction with the Siggiewi bypass and the roundabout near St Dorothy's School, and Qormi Road in Luqa and Luqa Road in Qormi. This brings the total of roads that were completed since works started in June 2004 to around 13 km. Meanwhile, work is nearing completion on the two remaining stretches of this project, namely Zebbiegh Road which links the Tal-Qlejja roundabout junction with Zebbiegh on the outskirts of Mgarr as well as the road to the Ta' Srina roundabout junction at the limits of Rabat.