Damaged Quays Removed As €9 Million Sally Port Regeneration Project Begins
A major project set to see the dilapidated Sally Port Road quays in Vittoriosa and the Kalkara Waterfront upgraded has begun.
The project, set to cost €9 million, will transform the area, colloquially known as ‘It-Toqba’, into a new walkable promenade, Infrastructure Malta said. Kalkara Waterfront and the locality’s square are also set to be upgraded.
Parts of the old Sally Port quays that have been badly damaged by storms over the years were removed today as the structures posed a risk of caving in. A team of divers were sent to repair and stabilise the underwater sections of other sections of the quays, which will be retained and incorporated in the new promenade.
“The reconstruction of the Sally Port quays will turn a neglected seafront area in Cottonera into a new promenade, with wide, paved footpaths, benches and decorative lighting.”
“It will also include a public garden, new public toilets and landscaped areas with flower beds and shrubs suitable for this coastal environment,” IM said as they announced the project’s beginning.
“This new outdoor recreational space will be directly linked to the centre of Vittoriosa, through the historical sally port tunnel built within the bastions separating the quays from the city,” they continued. “It will also be connected to the Birgu Waterfront, creating an uninterrupted pedestrian route from the Villa Bighi area of Kalkara to the Birgu marina, the Dock 1 area of Cospicua, the Senglea waterfront and all the way to Boiler Wharf, beneath the Gardjola Gardens.”
The planning of this project started in 2018 with initial studies to determine the structural condition of the Sally Port quays.
After years of storm damages and lack of maintenance and repairs, these quays and the road above them (Il-Piccolo Soccorso 1565 Road) had started to become inaccessible, with serious safety risks to road users, mariners and pedestrians.
During the infamous February 2019 storm which caused extensive damages in different parts of Malta, long stretches of the quays caved in, leading to temporary repairs taken to restore access to the area and intensified work on the reconstruction plans.
As part of the design and planning of the new quays, Infrastructure Malta consulted the Planning Authority, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and the Environment and Resources Authority, amongst others, to ensure the protection of this area’s heritage and the Grand Harbour’s marine environment.
Are you excited to see the waterside area get a facelift?
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