Action to address flooding at the Mellieħa bypass will only be taken if it transpires that the recent €2 million project to reconstruct the road is to blame, the Transport Minister is insisting.

Ian Borg was asked on the matter by Times of Malta in the wake of his announcement in Parliament earlier this week that certain “wavy” parts of the road would have to be resurfaced.

Apart from this shortcoming, the project also came under scrutiny following the first autumn downpours as parts of it had become flooded, with adjacent properties reporting storm water leakage into their basements.

The poor drainage system impacted a 400-metre stretch along the southbound lane. Aggrieved residents had vented their frustration and criticised the reconstruction project as no provision for water culverts had been made. At the time, Infrastructure Malta said it was looking into the matter. 

Poor drainage system affected a 400-metre stretch

Replying to a parliamentary question filed by Nationalist MP Chris Said, Dr Borg  last Tuesday said that following tests carried out on the asphalt, which was laid last June, it transpired that parts of it were not up to standard.

Consequently, remedial works would have to be carried out at the contractor’s expense.

The issue was raised for the first time last month by Labour MP Clayton Bartolo who enquired whether the recently-laid “wavy” asphalt was up to standard. The backbencher had specifically asked for the results on the road’s “longitudinal regularity”, which in layman’s terms means is the term used to verify if the asphalt bumps are within acceptable limit.

Though at the time, the Transport Minister said that results were ongoing, it was only a few days ago that it transpired that the road’s surface was below standard.

This announcement reinforced the public perception that the entire project left much to be desired as it had been rushed to be completed before the start of last summer.

Apart from the “wavy” tarmac, part of the Mellieħa Bypass has also become prone to flooding. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Asked if Infrastructure Malta would be also addressing the poor drainage system during the forthcoming work to replace the poor asphalt, Dr Borg told Times of Malta that it would be up to the agency’s experts to decide.

“If it transpires that the flooding is the result of bad workmanship, then action will be taken,” the Transport Minister added.

The reconstruction of the bypass was mired in controversy from the outset as it was only announced following a public outcry against a decision to narrow part of it. This unpopular measure was taken to make way for a new road servicing a massive block of apartments still under construction.

Subsequently, the ministry announced it had found a compromise through which the four-lane configuration would be retained, without doing away with the service road. However, this came at a cost as the speed limit along this stretch had to be halved from 80km/h to 40km/h because the bypass had nonetheless been narrowed.