Fewer than 100 roads in Gozo were fixed over the past seven years, since the Labour party’s 2017 electoral pledge to repave all Malta and Gozo’s roads, according to data obtained by Times of Malta.
The data shows that 83 roads across the island were completed since 2018, with several others either undergoing works at the moment or set to start shortly.
In October, Times of Malta revealed that Infrastructure Malta had resurfaced almost 1,400 roads in Malta as part of the €700m electoral pledge.
But this excludes Gozo’s roads, which fall squarely under the responsibility of the Gozo ministry, rather than Infrastructure Malta.
The figures show that while authorities have been busy repaving some 200 roads a year in Malta, roadworks in Gozo have proceeded at a far more leisurely pace, with just a dozen roads completed each year.
Just over a dozen roads fixed in Victoria
Unsurprisingly, the capital of Victoria is the locality where most roadworks took place, with 14 roads being fixed up in recent years. But almost half of these were partial fixes, with only certain parts of the road being resurfaced.
Other towns which saw more roadworks than most include Xagħra, where 12 roads were re-done, including extensive works on the road leading to Marsalforn, and Xewkija, where 11 roads were repaved.
Roadworks were also carried out in several other towns, including Nadur, Għasri and Kerċem.
More roadworks in the pipeline: Gozo ministry spokesperson
A Gozo ministry spokesperson told Times of Malta that several other roads are earmarked for repaving, with many of them in the throes of the government’s procurement procedures.
Others, including roads Sannat road and Qala’s Triq il-Wardija, have been assigned to developers but work has yet to kick off.
And a further 4.9 kilometres worth of roadworks across Kerċem, Munxar, Nadur, Qala and Għarb will be carried out with the help of EU funds, the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, the controversial roadworks between Victoria and Marsalforn are set to kick off in the upcoming months, after authorities said they had reached a compromise with environmental NGOs that previously objected to the project.
'Gozo has been completely forgotten by government' - Nationalist MP
The state of the roads in Gozo was a reflection of how Gozo had been forgotten by the present government, especially where the infrastructure was concerned, Nationalist MP and shadow minister for Gozo Alex Borg said.
Reacting to the Times of Malta story, Borg observed that in recent years, every budget has seen a substantial decrease in capital investment, particularly in road infrastructure, except for 2022 – the election year – when there was a minimal increase. Since then, capital investment has dropped below 2013 levels.
When inflation and rising construction costs were factored in, it became evident that Gozo had not only been neglected but completely forgotten.
"Infrastructure is the backbone of Gozo’s economic and tourism sectors. If the foundation is weak, everything starts to decline gradually," Borg said.
He said the PN remained committed to working in coordination with Gozo’s local councils to identify and carry out the necessary roadworks, ensuring that Gozo no longer lagged in basic infrastructure that determined the quality of life for its residents and visitors.