With an investment of €2.1 million, Infrastructure Malta has completed the rebuilding of the Marfa breakwater. This was announced by the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works Chris Bonett during a visit to the project site.
This breakwater goes back decades and until the Chirkewwa port was built, in the mid-seventies, the ferries that operated the journeys between Malta and Gozo used to dock with it, but over the years it has suffered considerable damages caused by the elements.
Through a structural survey it was confirmed that substantial parts of the structure of this breakwater were worn or totally broken. Accordingly, the agency rebuilt the entire structure of the breakwater, including the deck 85 meters long and 9 meters wide, the wall (sea wall) that protects it from the power of the waves and even made extensive repairs in -foundations that are at the bottom of the sea.
Minister Bonett explained that this project is part of a larger project to restore breakwaters around Malta, including those of Marsaxlokk, Marsaskala and now Marfa, which serve both as a shelter for the elements and as a mooring for fishermen’s boats and those who provide the transport service between Malta and Comino. He concluded by saying that this project reflects the continuous work of the Government which continues to invest in the maritime infrastructure.
The Head of the Maritime Section of Infrastructure Malta, Janice Borg, said that this project was necessary after the damage that the breakwater suffered from the elements and the storms that have affected it over the years. She added that after extensive work ranging from rebuilding the foundations of the breakwater to new lighting systems around the structure, this infrastructure can be used again by the fishermen’s ferries as well from passenger boats and anglers.
The work on the Marfa breakwater also included the installation of new lighting and other security systems around the breakwater. This project got funding from the European Fund for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
Photos (MTIP)
