Just as the St Paul's Bay bypass seemed finally about to be completed after suffering several delays, parts of the newly-surfaced section will have to be redone after failing tests for evenness.
Long-suffering drivers will have to bear further closures of this part of the road, although the works will be carried out after the summer to minimise inconvenience.
The Malta Transport Authority said yesterday it has instructed the contractor commissioned to re-construct the partially EU funded bypass - Asfaltar Ltd - to replace defective parts of the carriageways following negative test results related to the surface evenness of the road.
Tests carried out following the completion of all asphalting works by the contractor on Friday revealed that in certain areas, the asphalt wearing course does not meet the longitudinal regularity criteria specified in the contract, the ADT said.
In conformity with specifica-tions, post-completion tests are carried out by the authority or independent testers acting on its behalf. These tests also conform to a ministerial directive issued in May.
The ADT said that tests revealed that out of the total lane length of 10,800 metres forming the bypass, 8,700 metres are within the contract requirements.
As to the remaining stretches which have not conformed to contract requirements, penalties will be applied on a 300-metre stretch, while the remaining 1,800 metres of wearing course will have to be removed and replaced at the contractor's expense.
These provisions are being taken in line with stipulated conditions set out in the contractual obligations between the authority and the contractor.
The ADT said it has informed Asfaltar Ltd of the findings and directed the contractor to liaise with the authority to plan the required remedial works following the closure of the current summer season in order to reduce inconvenience to the public.
The bypass gained notoriety after some of the underlying earth collapsed leaving an adjoining house jutting out into mid-air. The whole road, leading from St Paul's Bay to Xemxija, was reconstructed in an EU project but the section in question was left incomplete for a long time after disagreements over responsibility arose between the government and the land owners, Polidano Brothers. Finally, works took place to shore up this part of the road, which has recently been reconstructed and surfaced.
The latest development means that the new bypass is still not quite a finished job.