Fuming motorists, who get stuck in traffic every day weaving through diversions in a bid to get in and out of Sliema via Msida, have to endure another month of frustration after delays on the Rue d'Argens project, in Msida.
The busy intersection, which has been closed since January 9, should have opened after 11 weeks but it's already two weeks behind schedule and the Malta Transport Authority (ADT) does not expect the project to be ready for at least another four weeks.
What has upset most people is why work on such a small stretch of road - about 300 metres in all from the beginning of Rue d'Argens up to the junction with Sant'Antnin Street - should take 11 weeks to complete in the first place, and then, to add insult to injury, is delayed by another six weeks.
For the past weeks, Abate Rigord Street along the Ta' Xbiex seafront was opened to two-way traffic to ease congestion. However, chaos reigns when motorists ignore the fact that, for the time being, parking is only allowed on one side.
"What makes matters worse is that people emerge from side streets and attempt to cross over against oncoming traffic, despite the continuous white line," one motorist said.
Rue d'Argens was closed to allow the Water Services Corporation to change the sewers and ensure the infrastructure continues to meet the expected rise in demand.
A spokesman for the Roads Ministry said when contacted that the project was originally scheduled to take nine weeks, with an additional two weeks to replace the water supply mains.
After the work started, ADT decided to take the WSC's advice to postpone the re-instatement of the new water mains and heed Msida local council's advice to go one step further and replace the pavements.
The ministry spokesman ex-plained that, though this move meant the road would be closed for longer, it would at least prevent further closures in the future.
"The WSC is currently in the second week of testing the mains and is connecting residences to the new water mains in parallel with the re-instatement of the road," the spokesman added.
The new footpath and the re-instatement of the road is costing the ADT €92,820 (Lm38,847), while the sewage and water works will cost the WSC €245,000 (Lm105,178).
Asked if the works had exceeded the original budget, the spokesman said that there had been "no variance, beyond the five per cent standard expected".