An investment of €600,000 in the village of Qrendi and surrounding areas was carried out in a bid to improve the quality of local rural roads in the area. Rural roads are considered as crucial for Maltese farmers, for residents who use them as secondary routes, for cyclists, and also for anyone who walks and exercises on these roads.
Through this oulay of EU funding, authorities have continued to strengthen the accessibility of rural roads around Malta and Gozo, while providing better tools for farmers to be able to do their work and enter their farms and fields more easily.
Mayor of Qrendi David Schembri explained how the work conducted in the two kilometre stretch of countryside road has benefited the numerous potato and onion crop harvesters who have for decades worked these fields. He continued by saying that numerous Maltese and foreign visitors opt to use this country road as part of their daily exercise, together with cyclists who have also included the road as part of their leisure routes.
These rural roads created a link to the UNESCO World Heritage sites at Ħagar Qim, the Għar Lapsi and Wied iż-Żurrieq bays, as well as the Siġġiewi, Żebbuġ and Rabat making the journey shorter, with no traffic and more easily accessible to all.
In total, more than €17.2 million in EU funding has been targeted towards the upgrading of rural roads.
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Photos – DOI Kevin Abela