Transport Minister Joe Mizzi yesterday offered little hope for a quick solution to ongoing works to install sewage mains in Baħrija which led residents to take to the streets in protest last week.

Asked by residents to give a completion date for the project, the Transport Minister said that complications were encountered due to archaeological remains found during excavations and works were ongoing to solve the problem.

“I can understand the frustration of residents as works are taking very long to complete. However, residents have to realise that although they have a right to protest, work has to take its time to ensure that we preserve the historic findings,” he said.

Mr Mizzi said that when the works were completed, Baħrija residents would be in a much better situation than today as they would have a drainage network connected their homes for the first time.

Last week, hundreds of Baħrija residents protested over the long delays to complete the EU-funded project lamenting that little or no progress had been registered for months. As a consequence, the main road leading to the Rabat hamlet has been closed for more than a year.

During another session of ‘Gvern li Jisma’ at Castille, Mr Mizzi spoke about the government’s plan to continue to ameliorate the island’s road network and address traffic and congestion problems.

He said that following the completion of the Coast Road “without losing any EU funds”, the government was now focusing on the Kappara project which would see a new junction set up and which would contribute to an improved traffic flow in the area.

Acknowledging that there was no quick solution to ease the traffic problem, he said that the government had already took a number of short term measures, including the introduction of tidal lanes, which, he said, were easing traffic congestion.