The first layer of tarmac will be placed on the main road connecting Victoria and San Lawrenz by at the end of September. Minister Giovanna Debono said this during a recent visit to reconstruction works currently in progress on the main arterial road.

The minister explained that, by the end of September, the base course will be placed along the route, starting from the Pope John Paul II monument at the Victoria side, up to the Ta' Pinu junction, while finishing works will be carried out in October.

Meanwhile, works are still ongoing with the shifting of services and the widening of the Ghasri junction. The works involve the excavation of the previous road, widening works in certain areas, the construction of underground service culverts and the construction of the actual road.

Services are now being shifted into ducts built below street level. This was done to avoid future excavation works as much as possible, due to the regular maintenance work required.

Mrs Debono also said that the road connecting Victoria to San Lawrenz is not the only road that the Government is investing heavily in and referred to the call for tenders issued earlier this month to reconstruct Ramla Road in Nadur, works on which are due to start after summer.

The minister added that these two road projects, together with others in main roads and residential streets in Gozo, will continue to improve the existing road network on the island, leaving a direct impact not only on the quality of life on Gozo but also on the island's tourism product.