Infrastructure Malta nearing completion of the first phase of restoration works on the retaining walls of the Santa Venera tunnels
Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Employment, Jonathan Attard, together with Infrastructure Malta Chief Executive Officer Steve Ellul, visited the site where Infrastructure Malta is in the final stages of the first phase of a restoration project involving the retaining walls of the Santa Venera tunnels. The project represents an investment of approximately €1 million. The walls were built towards the end of the 1980s as part of the original tunnel project.
“We visited the works being carried out as part of this first phase of restoration by Infrastructure Malta on a wall overlooking the Santa Venera tunnels. These walls formed part of the original project and required intervention both from a safety perspective and to prevent the potential disruption that could arise from any further deterioration," stated Minister Attard.
The works are being carried out along a major infrastructure corridor connecting Triq is-Sebħ to the Santa Venera tunnels in the northbound direction. After almost four decades of exposure to the elements and water infiltration, the stonework of these walls has deteriorated considerably, making specialised intervention necessary to safeguard the long-term structural integrity of the walls.
Rather than demolishing and rebuilding the wall, Infrastructure Malta is undertaking specialised restoration works to preserve the existing structure and strengthen its condition. Technical teams are repairing deteriorated limestone blocks, using specialised stone-strengthening techniques and applying treatments to reduce water infiltration and limit the risk of further deterioration in the future.
Minister Attard also acknowledged that this specialised work is being carried out by Maltese workers under the supervision of an architect.
The minister concluded, “I would also like to express my gratitude to the farmers who collaborated to facilitate the progress of these projects. This collaboration enabled the preparation of materials on the fields above the retaining walls without obstructing the roads that run beneath them".
Architect David Vassallo explained that substantial maintenance work was necessary to safeguard these walls and ensure continued protection for arterial and distributor roads.
“Over the past few months, we have been working on this extensive project, which is being carried out in different phases. The work involves setting up scaffolding and carrying out the necessary interventions section by section. All of this is being done without any impact on traffic," Vassallo explained.
He added that the work involves highly specialised craftsmanship, with all damaged stones being replaced by new stones specially cut and shaped by the contractor's workers. “The work is being carried out with particular care to ensure that there is no danger to either the workers or the people using the roads beneath the project site," the architect said.
Also present during the visit were Infrastructure Malta Chief Executive Officer Steve Ellul, Architect Janice Borg, and Head of Maintenance Unit Roderick Caruana.
