[WATCH] Works on Marsa junction to start next Monday

Transport Minister Ian Borg on the Marsa road junction

Works on the Marsa junction are set to begin next Monday, Transport Minister Ian Borg said today, almost two months before they were scheduled to start.

The project will include a multi-level road junction to ensure traffic from four major thoroughfares in the area flows continuously.

Borg said the project was much bigger than the Kappara junction and was crucial for improved connectivity between the south and the rest of the island.

The minister was speaking at a press conference during which he gave a rundown of the budget measures linked to his portfolio. Asked about the Marsa junction, Borg said that Transport Malta would be employing the experience gained during the Kappara junction works to improve traffic management during the works.

He said the project would make road travel in the area more efficient for all drivers.

The minister said that a new agency tasked with improving the country's road network would be set up after consultation with councils and road users.

Borg said the scheme to help people restore their own home would be extended next year. The scheme offers funding to home owners who wish to restore their houses in urban conversation areas.

Asked about the proposed road tunnel linking Malta and Gozo, Borg said rock investigations of the seabed were underway. "It is after these investigations are done and if they yield a positive result that we will be able to proceed to design stage and issue an international call," Borg said.