MLP spokesman critical of new roads' design
The opposition spokesman for public works and roads, Charles Buhagiar, yesterday poured cold water on Monday's inauguration of the 16-kilometre stretch of roads funded by the fifth Italo-Maltese financial protocol saying the new roads are worst, in...
The opposition spokesman for public works and roads, Charles Buhagiar, yesterday poured cold water on Monday's inauguration of the 16-kilometre stretch of roads funded by the fifth Italo-Maltese financial protocol saying the new roads are worst, in terms of design, than they were previously.
Besides the fact that the project had to be ready in August and that a number of roads are still being finished, the new roads have worsened the situation in many areas, Mr Buhagiar insisted.
The road leading from Mosta to Zebbiegh and part of the roundabout on the road from the Chadwick Lakes to San Guzepp tat-Targa are still not finished. Moreover, the majority of the new roads were redesigned into two-lane thoroughfares with one lane in each direction. Therefore, a part of Mdina road ended up with two lanes instead of four.
Mr Buhagiar also commented on the fact that the government expropriated land, paying thousands of liri in the process, only to build "huge, unnecessary" pavements instead of widening the road. In reply, the government said the comments showed how poor a vision for the sector Mr Buhagiar had.
The so-called unnecessary pavements hid underneath them common service ducts through which about 28 kilometres of cable have been passed, it said.
In response to the claim that a four-lane road ended up with two lanes, the Urban Development and Roads Ministry said that, on the contrary, the stretch in question was never a four-lane road and had actually been widened.
As for the deadline, the ministry said the work was actually finished before the deadline which was the end of September and not August, as claimed by the opposition spokesman. This in spite of the fact that work could not be done on a staggering 97 days due to bad weather. The contractors working at the sites managed to finish the work on time nonetheless, the ministry said.
The ministry said the opposition has every reason to be worried that such a road network has been completed as the project is an example of the government's dynamism.