Almost a third of the Marsascala Bypass rebuilding project has been completed, and the project is on time and on budget, Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt said this morning.

He said major sections of the road are being re-aligned to remove dangerous bends which had become accident black spots.

The project, he said, had run into initial unexpected difficulties because the road had been built on soil and clay, rather than rock, and workers had therefore to dig deeper to set firm foundations.

The project also involved the surfacing of roads being used as alternative routes.

The 56-week project costs €9.5 million, of which €7 million are coming from EU funds. It is due for completion in the middle of next year.