End of the road for Infrastructure Malta boss Fredrick Azzopardi

Fredrick Azzopardi will be leaving the public roads agency Infrastructure Malta sometime next month after captaining the transformation of Malta’s road network over the past four years.

Azzopardi confirmed with MaltaToday that he is working his notice period. “I had indicated my intention to leave last December but the government asked me to stay on until the election.”

He said that it was time for him to move on after leading Infrastructure Malta since its inception in 2018. “Just like I had done when I was CEO at Enemalta, I oversaw the period of transformation and then moved on. I felt it was time for me to move on,” Azzopardi said.

Azzopardi, an engineer by profession, denied rumours that his future will be with construction magnate Joseph Portelli, or any other construction company. “I have a job lined up and it is not in the construction industry,” he said.

Infrastructure Malta was set up in 2018 to fulfil an electoral pledge to overhaul Malta’s road network with a €700 million budget spread over seven years.

Road projects ranged from residential roads to major arteries. Some of the more significant projects included the Marsa multi-level junction, the Santa Lucija underpass and the Central Link.

However, the agency repeatedly came under fire from environmental activists and residents over projects that took up agricultural land and led to trees being uprooted. Azzopardi was often singled out for his brash attitude when dealing with residents and activists opposed to IM’s plans.

The agency has defended itself by insisting that the overhaul of the road network was necessary to make roads safer and reduce congestion. It also planted thousands of trees and shrubs alongside new roads to make up for trees lost but Azzopardi remained a controversial figure receiving praise and criticism in equal measure.

He was applauded by many for his can-do attitude but reviled by activists for his arrogant ways.