Watch: Grand Harbour breakwater restoration project underway

Works are underway to repair the historic 110-year-old Grand Harbour breakwater and the steel bridge linking one of its arms to Valletta.

Piloted by state agency Infrastructure Malta, the €1 million project includes the replacement of large blocks of the breakwater’s deck which have been dislodged by huge waves over the years.

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The structure is made up of separate arms – one jutting out from Fort Ricasoli in Kalkara which stretches for 120 metres into the sea and a second arm from the opposite side but further out in the port which stretches from Fort St Elmo. The latter part which is 370 metres long, is linked to the shore by means of a steel bridge, which is also undergoing repairs.

Prior to the start of works, divers managed to retrieve some of the coping stones which had fallen into the sea and were still in good condition. Though these parts will be reused, the missing parts are being replaced by limestone blocks from a quarry in Trani, in the Puglia region of Italy. The project includes cleansing of the masonry from tar stains and other deposits which accumulated over the years.

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