A €2 million project to regenerate the Għadira promenade will not be completed by the original June 2023 deadline and is set to extend beyond the summer, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo has confirmed.

The project, which began in October 2021, includes reconstructing pedestrian areas, and installing new lights, CCTV systems, fountains, public convenience facilities, and free Wi-Fi.

Speaking in Parliament, Bartolo criticised past administrations for neglecting the promenade. While he acknowledged that the current works have caused traffic delays and inconvenience, he argued that this was necessary to carry out all the infrastructural works correctly.

The minister hinted that the works would be paused during the summer months to minimise inconvenience. He also stated that the works would be temporarily completed by summer and fully completed at a later date, although he didn’t elaborate futher.

It is unfortunate that once again, a governmental project has not met its deadline which seems to be a continuous problem with infrastructural projects, often leading to heavy traffic and a severe negative impact on the surrounding areas.

Għadira Bay in particular is extremely busy in the summer period, and a delay in these works could lead to serious congestion in the area.