Austin Gatt announces more road projects

The government will spend €20 million over the next 15 months on the resurfacing or rebuilding of five major arterial roads and many residential roads, in a project which is separate from the Ten-T roads project announced last week, Transport Minister Austin Gatt said today.

At the end of the 15 months he said, all work would have been concluded on the residential roads earmarked for intervention.

Speaking at a press conference, Dr Gatt said €5.4 millon would be spent on major roads, €6.5 million would be spent on the reconstruction of 72 roads (which will be listed in Parliament) and €7.9m on 202 residential roads. (see list in pdf below)

These projects, the minister said, would be fully funded by the government and would 'stretch' all road contractors – to the extent that there had been difficulty finding contractors for some of the works.

The major projects include the road from Tower Road to Dragut Point including the area in and out of the Tigne' Tunnel, roads in Vittoriosa , Kalkara and Zabbar related to the SmartCity project including parts of Labour Avenue and Hompesch Road, a junction near the new US embassy at Ta' Qali, and the widening of Triq San Anard in Xghajra so that heavy vehicles will not need to use residential roads.

The Valletta pedestrianisation project will also continue, with paving works to include parts of Archbishop, Sta Lucija, Strait, Old Theatre and Republic Streets.

Most of the works start this month.