The massive Coast Road rebuilding project may only be finished after the summer due to the important archeological findings made recently along its stretch.

Expected to cost around €53 million, the mainly EU-funded project was originally planned for completion by next May.

However, Transport Malta yesterday said it was now re-evaluating the project timelines with the possibility of extending them beyond the summer.

It said it was working with contractors and supervisors to revise the works programme so that “these continuing developments are catered for with the least disturbance possible to the project”.

These continuing developments are catered for with the least disturbance possible to the project

The excavation works on the Coast Road, which stretches from Pembroke to Salina, have unearthed a number of archaeological features and artefacts that include a Punico-Roman tomb, agricultural trenches, the remains of a late Roman structure and of what is possibly a Late Antiquity harbour at Salina.

The entire stretch has been under the eye of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, which is monitoring the situation very closely and supervising the works.

It has documented a complete list of the discoveries made.

Transport Malta said the works were now progressing “in a more cautious manner”.

A number of structural changes will be required in the road foundation layers to preserve the features and the authority is working on a “modified option” for the Salina area.

The authority reiterated its commitment towards preserving national heritage while evaluating ways to complete the project as soon as possible.

A set of new traffic arrangements were implemented in the Pembroke area as southbound traffic from Telgħa tal-Madliena to Triq Suffold is diverted through the entrance of White Rocks to Triq Adrian Dingli.

Due to works, Triq Martin Luther King will only be accessible from the diversion road at White Rocks.

Last May, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi said the massive Coast Road project needed 60 weeks to be completed and the works had already reached advanced stages after just four weeks.