Over 27,000 plants are being installed on a 350-metre vertical garden situated on the Marsa-Hamrun bypass.

With a length of three football pitches, the project is Malta’s longest vertical garden. The €500,000 project was carried out by Infrastructure Malta.

It was inaugurated on Monday by Transport and Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg and Environment and Planning Minister Aaron Farrugia.

The project contractors started installing the specialised structure that is supporting this green wall last Summer. The structure was specifically designed to reduce the risk of damage to the concrete retaining wall, whilst making use of eco-friendly, recyclable materials. The system also incorporates an automatic drip irrigation system connected to a large reservoir, which Infrastructure Malta built in the grounds of an adjacent school when the Marsa-Ħamrun Bypass was rebuilt in 2018. The contractors also installed security cameras to deter theft and vandalism.

Minister Ian Borg said the project continues to showcase this government’s “constant commitment with a clear vision to offer the best possible sustainability.”

Thanks to this project, the Maltese will benefit from cleaner and greener air, and it will further provide an aesthetic site to be enjoyed by the thousands of vehicles that travel in these zones, he said.

Minister Aaron Farrugia said that, following the completion of the Marsa-Ħamrun Bypass road infrastructure project by Infrastructure Malta, Ambjent Malta forwarded a proposal to Infrastructure Malta for the installation of  Malta’s first green wall in the island’s road network.

He explained that Ambjent Malta is financing the project and providing assistance for its implementation. The total cost of the project financed by Ambjent Malta is €650,000. The costs include an integrated water delivery system and maintenance costs for at least five years. The Minister said that the Intelligent Planning Consultative Forum prepared a study on green walls and green roofs, which found that these could bring a number of benefits to our country. 

“Green walls provide multiple benefits in urban areas. They serve as potential ecological stepping-stones for insects and pollinators between rural and urban environments, reduce noise pollution, contribute to cooler micro-climates, reduce air pollution, and improve the experience of those who live and work in urban areas,” Farrugia said.

Infrastructure Malta is also working with the Institute for the Creative Arts of the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) to introduce an outdoor art gallery in another section of the same wall at the Marsa-Ħamrun Bypass. This outdoor gallery will include large-scale artwork prints created by the Institute’s fine arts students and lecturers. Eventually, this space will also be made available to other local and international artists, bringing art closer to the people as they travel past them every day. The first new artworks will be installed at this location next month.