The new entrance to the capital and the open theatre on the ruins of the opera house will be completed by the end of the year, six months ahead of schedule. The whole project, which also includes the new parliament building, is expected to be ready next year and is within budget. Restoration works on the opera house ruins have now been completed with the next step being the laying of the iron structure that will form the open theatre.
The Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications, Austin Gatt, made this announcement yesterday at a news conference in Triq Xatt l-Gћassara tal-Gћeneb in Marsa which was rebuilt from scratch and is expected to be opened for traffic in two weeks’ time.
Addressing the media on the government’s track record since 2008, Dr Gatt gave a general overview of the numerous capital projects under way, highlighting the fact that 3,700 workers are involved in the process.
A substantial number of these projects are being carried out around the capital. Dr Gatt said that the Barrakka lift will be ready by November, and the simultaneous start of operations of the ferry service between Valletta and Cottonera will greatly improve accessibility. Meanwhile, work on the paving project in the city centre is well under way, while by the end of the month the restoration project of the upper part of Fort St Elmo will commence. Once finished, this historic building will be utilised for cultural purposes and will include a number of museums.
The minister referred also to the numerous arterial roads currently under reconstruction and said that on average these take about 12 months to be completed. According to him, even though the call for tenders are made on a European level, foreign contractors are not interested as they consider such projects not financially viable due to their small scale. As a consequence all works are being done by local contractors, who according to Dr Gatt are not as well equipped to undertake such projects and hence works take longer.
On a positive note he announced that Council of Europe Avenue and Triq Garibaldi in Luqa will be ready next month, while the road in Marfa leading to the Gozo ferry and the road in Xewkija will be finished in July. However news that works on the Mellieћa bypass will finish in December is likely to create more frustration among drivers not only to those on their way back from Gozo but also to the thousands who in summer frequent Gћadira Bay and other popular sandy beaches in this area.
Asked about the terminal in Ċirkewwa, Dr Gatt announced that this project is scheduled “to be completed on time” next October – it was due to be completed about 10 years ago. As for residential roads, he said that by the end of this year around 400 roads will have been completed.
Flanked by Manwel Delia the person responsible for the public transport reform launched in July last year, and which for several months, until changed, drove commuters up the wall, Dr Gatt expressed satisfaction at the level of service reached so far. He cited a recent survey in which 79% said they are satisfied with the service. The patronage level has increased by 14%. He added that by the end of this month all buses will have Euro V engines and will be up to standard.
Asked by The Malta Independent whether he was satisfied with the progress registered so far on the SmartCity project, Dr Gatt said that as far as the infrastructure is concerned works are proceeding according to plans and the fact that €62 million have been invested so far by the private sector is highly significant. On the other hand he admitted he is not fully satisfied with the level of take-up of the facilities so far, even though world renowned brands like Cisco are among the tenants at Rikażli. He added that this resulted in fewer jobs being generated than had been expected, with the international recession partly to blame.
Among other achievements lauded by Dr Gatt was the Maltese Maritime Register, which is now the biggest in the EU.