Infrastructure Department working on 95 projects worth €42 million

The Works and Infrastructure Department is currently working on several different levels on 95 different projects across Malta and Gozo, with a total investment of €42 million, Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Minister Ian Borg has said.

Borg said this while visiting an ongoing project, which is a collaboration between the Works and Infrastructure Department and the Qormi Local Council in Qormi.

The minister said the government is committed to investing in the country’s communities, and emphasised that although it is important to look at multimillion euro projects such as the Marsa Junction, it is equally important to look at smaller investments, which are also making a great impact on communities and on the quality of life of residents.

He commended the local council for the investment it is making with their limited funds, and emphasised that local councils are a priority for the government, which is committed to continue supporting them in the best way possible.

He also mentioned the electoral pledge towards the €700 million project which will lead to the setting up of an Infrastructure Agency, which will be taking the responsibility of roads off the shoulders of local councils, without reducing any of their annual allocated funds. The minister said that thanks to this initiative, councils will be able to invest in other projects in their communities.

Qormi Mayor Jesmond Aquilina thanked Minister Borg for the initiatives he continuously takes, some of which have already positively affected Qormi. He made reference to the interventions made on Triq Manwel Dimech and the roundabouts on its end, which helped to ease problems of traffic. 

He said that this investment by the ministry, consisting of embellishment projects costing about €40,000, will be transforming an area which has long been abandoned into an organised parking area and an open space which can be enjoyed by the residents of the locality.

The ongoing project in Qormi includes the cleaning of the site, the necessary excavation to include lighting, pavements, installation of drains for rainwater and pipes for lighting, the building of a concrete sub-base, the refurbishment of the existing wall, the building of ramps and a railing, the installation of lights and necessary signs, asphalting, as well as the installation of benches.

The same department had previously carried out works on the walls beneath the site that serve as a watercourse. From its end, the local council will be investing in equipment for an outdoor gym that is to be open to the public in the same location.