Emergency works are currently underway at the Mistra Bridge after consultants and experts urged immediate action to address parts of the structure that were crumbling, Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg has announced. 

The bridge, he said, was an important connection for Mellieha and Gozo to rest of Malta, especially during the summer months. The project is expected to be completed in four weeks time. 

The bridge was constructed in the 1884 and was widened in a redevelopment project in 1955, which saw the structure be reinforced with concrete.

The Minister lamented that there would have been no need for major intervention, had the necessary maintenance been conducted. However, he said that the project will be built in a way to avoid similar problems for future generations. 

Referencing the proposed 700 million euro investment into the road network, Borg reiterated that the country’s infrastructure is an absolute priority.

Frederick Azzopardi, who will the CEO of the new Road Agency which will oversee the investment, said that urgent intervention has already be done.

One of the consultants on the project explained that the bridge had suffered severe erosion due to a number of factors, such as weather, vegetation, and thermal movements.

There was about 12 cm loss in stonework and parts of the outer wall had collapsed, exposing the structure’s core. 

The tarmac will be removed and there will be some excavation to construct the new road. With regards to potholes and the general state of the rest of the road leading up to Mellieha and down to Xemxija will undergo re-patching work.