The road that links Victoria to Marsalforn should have been a lifeline. Instead, it has become a daily ordeal for residents, business owners, and visitors. Government speeches talk about bypasses, diversions, and safety upgrades, yet the reality on the ground shows confusion, blockages, and frustration. Unfortunately, people quoted the bypass extensively, but it remains unfinished. The stretch from Triq Ġorġ Pisani to Triq Patri Ġjaċintu Camenzuli still lies under construction, closed to all traffic coming from Victoria. The minister may boast of a new link, but what exists today is nothing more than a diversion through Triq il-Belliegha, a stopgap that adds distance, stress, and delay.
A walk along the project last week revealed more chaos than progress. The road ends abruptly at Ta’ Mena Estate further down from the Marsalforn pumping station. Heavy machinery sits idle in the fields, large stone boulders line the centre of the road, and one side lies turned up as if frozen mid-dig. On Friday, August 14, not a single worker was in sight. Only a lone Transport Malta officer stood guard at the Victoria end, stationed round the clock to block cars from using the route in reverse. Marsalforn residents who need to reach Victoria face constant detours. Their only options remain through Xagħra or, even worse, through Zebbug. The diversions from Victoria itself are not simple; these are mainly through Triq Michele Busuttil or Triq il-Belliegha. The burden falls on them daily, while officials speak of improvements that never seem to materialise.
The initial tender stood at around €9 million. That figure already feels outdated, and the last bill will almost certainly climb far higher. There is currently no established date for completion. Residents fear the project will drag on for years. Meanwhile, Marsalforn and Victoria remain cut off from each other by a lifeline road that looks more like an abandoned site than a public investment. The hardships grow, especially in the peak summer season when Marsalforn fills with visitors and activity. Tourists meet bottlenecks, locals lose patience, and businesses pay the price.
DLH (Din l-Art Ħelwa) made much noise about trees. Representatives went to the site to paint markings, some green heart-shaped, others orange, to decide the trees that would live, the trees that people would transplant, and the trees that would vanish. The cycle track still has no markings at all. Along the valley edge, piles of stones, loose branches, and rubbish block the natural water flow. The regulators and NGOs secured conditions for trees, yet the same zeal did not extend to the daily life of Marsalforn residents. People struggle to reach Victoria for work, school, hospital visits, or simple errands. Nobody seems to have thought of them.
The local councils of Victoria, Żebbuġ, and Xagħra cannot ignore this mess. Was this project approved by them in its present form? Were they able to foresee the difficulties that would arise? Was the timing questioned by them at any point during the discussion? Launching massive roadworks at the start of summer, when Marsalforn depends on accessibility for tourism and activity, defies common sense. Authorities could have phased works, keeping at least one lane open or staggering the project to maintain connection. Instead, residents and visitors got diversions and barriers. Marsalforn pays the price of a decision made without practical foresight.
The official line insists that this project addresses dangerous bends, crumbling bridges, and safety concerns. No one questions the need for stronger roads and safer links. But urgency does not excuse mismanagement. A project meant to solve problems has created new ones. The detours force traffic through narrow streets in Xagħra, where congestion worsens and safety risks increase. Businesses in Marsalforn suffer as customers find it harder to reach them. Parents rush children to activities and schools through longer routes. The main road closure to Victoria disadvantages older adults. The summer sun shines on Marsalforn, but the mood among residents turns darker with every extra kilometre forced on them.
Government boasts of bypasses and progress sound hollow when the so-called bypass is nothing more than a diversion that bypasses nothing at all. Residents see idle machines, not engineers. They see blocked valleys, not sustainable planning. They see restrictions and police controls, not solutions. Confidence in the project dwindles by the week. How can anyone believe the road will open soon, seeing as it is currently half-finished, blocked, and silent?
The choice to start in the summer adds insult to injury. The village resort of Marsalforn depends heavily on the changes that come with each season to prosper. Tourists fill its promenades, restaurants, and beaches. Every minute of traffic chaos, every detour, and every unnecessary roadblock hurts the image of the village as much as it hurts local pockets. A government that claims to boost tourism cannot undermine one of Gozo’s main summer destinations with careless planning. Residents ask whether anyone weighed the consequences before the bulldozers rolled in. The answer looks increasingly like no.
It is still unclear who should take accountability in this situation. Who takes responsibility for this embarrassing situation? Was it the ministry that announced the works? The contractor who left machines idle? The councils that failed to raise their voices? Or the regulators and NGOs who looked only at trees while people shouldered the burden? Shifting blame will not help residents who need to reach Victoria daily. Someone must step forward with straightforward answers and, more importantly, with a credible plan and timeline.
For improvements and advancements, Marsalforn is open to change and adapting. No one rejects safer, wider, and better roads. But progress demands planning, timing, and respect for the community. Instead, Marsalforn got barriers, diversions, silence, and empty promises. At this rate, the project will stretch far beyond its original budget and timeframe, leaving residents to navigate chaos for years. What should have been a vital upgrade turned into a lesson on how not to plan public works.
The people of Gozo are worthy of a higher standard of living and opportunities. Marsalforn is worthy of improvement and deserves a higher quality of life for its residents. Residents want to see workers on site, not just machines rusting in the sun. They want to see clear deadlines, not vague assurances. They want solutions that ease life, not decisions that complicate it. The Gozo Ministry owes more than press releases and bypass speeches. It owes the people of Marsalforn a functioning road, a transparent plan, and relief from the needless suffering inflicted by poor judgment and mismanagement. Until then, every journey between Marsalforn and Victoria will stand as a reminder that poor planning always costs more than money.
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