Works to rebuild a 1.4km stretch of road winding down from Mellieħa to Għadira Bay have started, Infrastructure Malta said on Saturday.

The rebuilding of Triq il-Marfa will involve the creation of a new underground storm water system to ease flooding in parts of Mellieħa, placing cables and other services underground and rebuilding the road surface from scratch.

In a statement, Infrastructure Malta said that Triq il-Marfa was one of the first 120 roads it was rebuilding as part of the government’s €700 million plan to upgrade Malta’s road network.

The Labour government had made a promise to fix all of Malta’s roads within seven years a cornerstone of its 2017 general election campaign.

Works to build more than 400 metres of new pavements along part of Triq il-Marfa have started.

The upper part of the road, from Triq l-Erwieħ to Triq l-Għajn tal-Mellieħa, will be closed in both directions from Monday April 1, as the agency lays down a new road surface.

Access to homes, shops, restaurants and other buildings further down this road, towards Għadira Bay, will remain open through a diversion route from the Mellieħa Bypass.

The temporary closure will also affect public transport bus routes, which will be unable to follow the scheduled route through Triq il-Kbira, Triq Ġorġ Borg Olivier and Triq il-Marfa.

Instead, buses 41, 42, 49, 101, 221, 222, 250, XI and N11 will be diverted to the Mellieħa Bypass and on towards Għadira Bay.

Commuters who normally use bus stops in affected areas can use a shuttle service provided by the local council which will get them to a temporary bus stop opposite the primary school, in Triq Qasam Barrani. This service will operate at all times, in line with the schedules of the indicated bus routes, until the ongoing works are ready.

For more information or for assistance, contact Infrastructure Malta on 2334 1000, info.im@infrastructuremalta.com or on Facebook.