Minister for Gozo Clint Camillieri has announced that he will begin extensive restoration work on the Gozo aqueduct.
This project involves the structural consolidation and conservation of the British-built aqueduct between 1839 and 1843 to bring water from Għar Ilma in Kerċem to Victoria.
Minister Camilleri explained that back in 2017, the restoration section within the Ministry for Gozo had made some interventions to prevent the damage that had accumulated over the years from continuing to grow.
“This much-needed restoration will begin after all the necessary studies have been completed and permits have been issued by the competent authorities. Extensive restoration will ensure that this historic heritage, located to the west of the island, is preserved and eventually further enjoyed, ”said the Minister for Gozo.
Minister Camilleri said that the ministry is committed to preserving the cultural heritage that Gozo offers and this is being done with the necessary capital investment in various sites of historical importance.
John Xuereb, Director for Cultural Heritage within the Ministry for Gozo, said that the project is divided into a number of phases, with the first phase already ready which involved a geological investigation of the subsoil with the main aim of understand the nature of the aqueduct foundations and to determine the composition of the underlying geological strata. In the second phase of the project, which will start in the coming weeks, there will be a temporary shoring with the main arch while the third and final phase of the project will focus on the structural consolidation of the foundations and the aqueduct conservation.
This project is being carried out by a multidisciplinary team of experts led by conservation architect Dr Hermann Bonnici and is estimated to cost € 2 million. The project will be completed by the end of 2025.
Photos (MGOZ)
