New-look Buġibba square completed

Buġibba square was inaugurated on Tuesday evening, marking the completion of an extensive rebuild.

Infrastructure Minister Chris Bonett uploaded pictures of the finished works on Tuesday afternoon, saying the square had never looked better, and the project was being delivered on time.

The €10m project was launched at the beginning of last year and ran into controversy in recent months, with residents and tourists complaining about the state of the area.

A water feature on the revamped square.

Some had described it as a “mess”, citing what they called “never-ending construction works”.

ADPD in a press conference on the site last week said it was a 'miracle' that workers were on the site.

“The residents of this locality know we haven’t seen workers here for a while,” party leader Sandra Gauci had said.

"Now all of a sudden they have appeared and are working nonstop to manage everything before the election date.”  

But Bonett denied that works had been sped up because of the election, noting in a Facebook post that six months ago, before the election date was known, he had promised that the square would be opened in May.

"We have kept our word," he said.

Jason Micallef, who led the project, said the regeneration works also included a new belvedere along the coast and a revamp of the neighbouring streets.

A section of Bugibba square.

The works included the building of an underground reservoir, new utility services, resurfacing and new footpaths, installation of water features, new street furniture, lighting and planters on the square and along the belvedere.