A 2017 election promise to revamp all of Malta’s roads is still on track and set to be delivered on time despite the impact of the Ukraine war on raw materials, Infrastructure Minister Aaron Farrugia told Times of Malta on Friday. 

Announced by former prime minister Joseph Muscat, the Labour government promised an ambitious €700 million project that would fix up all of Malta’s roads. 

It began under former Transport Minister Ian Borg, now minister for foreign affairs but the pledge transferred stewardship to Farrugia after the 2022 general election. 

“Yes our electoral pledge from 2017, now carried over to 2022, is still on track and we are going to keep working on fixing up all the streets in Malta and Gozo,” Farrugia said. 

“Obviously only where it’s necessary, we’re not going to change those streets that are still in good condition. But our aim is to give the best roads possible to the people. They have paid for them and this is what they expect.”

He added that while the Russian invasion of Ukraine has left an impact on supply chains, work on the ministry’s ongoing projects was still progressing. 

“The war in Ukraine has left an impact not only on price but also on the supply chain,” Farrugia continued. 

“However contractors are working at a good pace, they’re making sure they have all the tar and metal that they need.”

Financial assistance 

The government will offer financial assistance to those contractors who started the ministry’s projects before the invasion and unexpectedly saw a sharp increase in cost than initially anticipated.

“Contractors will see price increases and we are anticipating that as well,” Farrugia said. 

“Those who signed contracts before the start of the war, we’re preparing for that together with the Finance Ministry. Those who signed on after the start of the war were already aware that prices had gone up and so there won’t be any compensation on that front.” 

Last year Infrastructure Malta said it had completed works on 220 new roads, equivalent to four roads a week, increasing its average from three roads a week in 2020. 

Projects on major arterial roads have also been completed, including the Marsa Junction, Tal-Balal Road and Central Link projects. 

The Mrieħel bypass tunnel is expected to be open to traffic by September, with the whole project finished by the end of the year. The flyover project at the Kirkop tunnels is some 65 per cent complete, with the project expected to be completed in the first quarter of next year. 

Farrugia has also previously hinted that major flyover projects are in the works for Msida, Mrieħel, and Qormi.