It has not yet been established if the ‘wavy’ asphalt laid at the Mellieħa Bypass a few months ago is the result of bad workmanship because tests are still underway.

The issue was raised recently by Labour MP Clayton Bartolo in a parliamentary question to Transport Minister Ian Borg.

The backbencher asked what type of tests were carried out on the quality of the asphalt and the road’s “longitudinal regularity”, that is whether bumps or depressions on the road surface exceed set limits. He asked for a copy of the results and whether the job was carried out properly.

Dr Borg said he was not in a position to give a reply.

Though the project was completed three months ago, the minister said the initial tests were still being analysed. Moreover, he added, other tests had to be done before having the final results.

These were only carried out a few days before and the findings were still being processed, the minister pointed out.

The €2-million project to reconstruct the bypass was mired in controversy due to an adjacent massive private development.

It transpired that a decision had been made to narrow part of the bypass to make way for a new road to serve the new block of apartments still under construction. This had fuelled a public outcry forcing the Transport Ministry to amend plans and keep the four-lane configuration. The changes were announced as part and parcel of a project to reconstruct the bypass.

It later emerged that the speed limit along the stretch had to be halved from 80 to 40 km/h as the bypass had nonetheless been narrowed.

Works started last May by different contractors engaged through direct order. The ministry had justified the decision on grounds that it wanted to complete the project by the start of summer.

While the deadline was respected, questions were immediately raised on the quality of the asphalting.

Motorists had queried how the authorities could have certified the works as being up to standard when certain parts of the road “felt like travelling inside a boat”.

In this respect, concerns had been raised that the standards had been compromised by the rush to finish the job as quickly as possible.