Project to rebuild Marsascala breakwater kicks off

Infrastructure Malta is starting the second phase of a project to rebuild the old breakwater and its adjacent quays in the inner part of Marsascala Bay.

This was announced by Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Aaron Farrugia during an onsite visit. 

The Minister said that the intervention is part of a €1.9 million project with the reconstruction of 140 metres of quays along San Ġorġ Street, close to the Marsascala Parish Church, along the northern shore of the bay. These quays are popular among Marsascala residents and visitors for swimming and for seaside walks. Their foundations were scoured by decades of sea erosion and their concrete surfaces were cracked and pitted. In recent years, parts of them collapsed into the sea. During the past days, Infrastructure Malta rebuilt these quays in a new, safer design, including a wave wall to protect pedestrians and adjacent buildings from rough seas.

Minister Farrugia explained that these works are important for the safety and security of vessels and that the second phase which has now commenced includes the consolidation and rebuilding of the 80-year-old breakwater that shelters this part of this bay. While the subsea structure of the outer half of this 30-metre breakwater is still standing, the inner half, closer to the quays along the shore, had practically disintegrated.

Earlier this week, Infrastructure Malta started demolishing parts of the breakwater that were about to cave in. When the damaged sections are removed, a team of builders and divers will level the seabed to lay new foundations with large precast concrete blocks, up to the surface. They will then consolidate the foundations of the outer half, which will be retained, before casting the wave wall, cope beams and the new concrete deck. The agency will then complete this new structure with safety and navigational aids for mariners. Weather permitting, all works will be ready by the end of the year.

The Minister referred to a number of other projects managed by Infrastructure Malta’s maritime infrastructure team, including the rebuilding of another breakwater at Marfa, in Mellieħa, and plans are underway to start developing a new 180-metre breakwater at Buġibba, in St Paul’s Bay. Minister Farrugia concluded that the investment in marine infrastructure is ongoing as this sector is crucial for economy.