Transport Minister Joe Mizzi yesterday offered little hope for a quick solution to ongoing works to install a sewage network in Baħrija despite that residents took to the streets in a protest last week.

Asked by residents to give a date when the project will be completed following long delays, the Transport Minister said that complications had been encountered due to archaeological remains found during excavation and works were ongoing to solve the problem.

“I can understand the frustration of residents as works are taking very long to complete. However, residents have to realise that, although they have a right to protest, work has to take its time in order to ensure that we preserve the historic findings,” he said.

Mr Mizzi said that when works were completed, Baħrija residents would be in a much better situation than today as they would have a drainage network connected to their homes for the first time.

I can understand the frustration of residents, as works are taking very long to complete.However, they have to realise that work has to take its time in order to ensure that we preserve the historic findings

Last week, hundreds of Baħrija residents protested over long delays to complete the EU-funded project, lamenting that little or no progress was being made.

As a consequence, the main road leading to the Rabat hamlet has been closed for more than a year.

During another session of Gvern li Jisma’ at Castille, Valletta, Mr Mizzi spoke about the government’s plan to continue to improve the island’s road network and address traffic and congestion problems.

He said that following the completion of the Coast Road “without any loss of EU funds”, the government was now focusing on the Kappara project, which would see a new junction set up and that would contribute to a better flow of traffic.

Recognising that there was no quick solution to ease the traffic problem, he said the government had already taken a number of short-term initiatives that included the introduction of tidal lanes, which he said were working well to ease traffic congestion.

He said that a better public transport system was also giving positive results as more commuters were using it.

ivan.camilleri@timesofmalta.com