Plans for a new flyover to ease traffic flow from the northbound lane of the Mrieħel bypass into Mrieħel itself are not a priority, Infrastructure Minister Aaron Farrugia said on Monday. 

The plans had drawn protests when they were announced in December 2020, because of the take-up of some 20 tumoli of agricultural land. Infrastructure Malta had said at the time that the project was needed for safety reasons. 

Farrugia on Monday formally announced the opening of the traffic underpass near the MFSA offices and said in reply to questions that the flyover, meant to have been built a few hundred metres down the bypass at the site of the pedestrian bridge, had been shelved.

“We have several projects in the pipeline for the whole country. Some are on the forefront and others are on the back burner. The flyover project is not in the first group, so it is not among the projects to be carried out in the immediate future.” 

“We have had several projects in the area and one should not have a place undergoing works for years on end,” Farrugia said. 

He pointed out that traffic lights were installed in August at the junction where the flyover was planned, and the results appeared positive, although some tweaking may be necessary according to traffic flows. 

Times of Malta recently reported that a freeze has been ordered on nationally funded infrastructure projects as part of the government’s attempts to rein in spending in the face of spiralling energy costs. In July, Times of Malta also reported that ministries and government entities have been ordered to cut spending by €200 million by the end of the year.