Siggiewi bypass reopens

The Malta Transport Authority said yesterday that the Siggiewi bypass had been re-opened for traffic, following emergency works on part of the road and a retaining wall in danger of collapse.

It said works were taken in hand late on Friday night and continued throughout yesterday morning.

The bypass is currently undergoing reconstruction as part of a road upgrade programme financed by the fifth Italo-Maltese financial protocol.

The authority said the road was closed on Friday evening after cracks appeared on a four-metre stretch of the road surface, due to the shifting of part of the 16-metre high retaining wall along the road - this was probably caused by excavation works adjacent to the site.

The contractor on site reported the incident to the relevant authorities and the road was immediately closed to vehicular traffic as a precaution.

The repair works involved the laying of one metre concrete blocks behind the retaining wall to reinforce it.

The road was reopened to vehicular traffic at noon. Works on the reconstruction of the road are expected to resume tomorrow as scheduled.