Watch: Ta' Xbiex promenade restoration works to begin this month

A one-kilometre stretch of promenade along the Ta' Xbiex seafront is to be regenerated starting from the end of the month, Environment Minister Miriam Dalli announced on Wednesday. 

The project, which is expected to start during the last week of October, will see the embellishment of the promenade and the quay area, including the installation of new water and street lighting systems.

According to renders, the road, right beyond the Gżira gardens, will be reduced from two lanes to a one lane.

Regeneration works will be carried out by the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation (GHRC).

Video of the proposed project provided by the GHRC suggests the regeneration project will run past a half-built structure declared illegal by the courts last year. The structure, dubbed a 'capitainerie' by developers Transport Malta, was already partially built when a court annulled its permit. 

A private company that has a concession for the site has since applied to sanction the site, effectively rendering it legal.  

The promenade regeneration project was announced by Environment Minister Miriam Dalli and the GHRC CEO Gino Cauchi, along with representatives from the Ta'Xbiex Local Council.

“Another promised project, another project that will now be delivered. This project will address the daily needs of the community while strengthening our vision for public spaces that are sustainable, inclusive, and of high quality. The Ta’ Xbiex promenade will combine functionality with aesthetics, as well as environmental elements,” said Minister Dalli.

Environment Minister Miriam Dalli alongside GHRC CEO Gino Cauchi and Ta' Xbiex local mayor Max Zammit. Photo: DOI

To maintain visual harmony and the aesthetic quality of the project, high-quality materials will be used for the paving, complementing those already installed along the Msida promenade.

High-quality lava stone and porphyry paving, a durable material resistant to natural elements, will be used. The project will also include a greenway to promote alternative and sustainable modes of travel.

GHRC Chief Executive Officer Gino Cauchi said the project will complement the already completed projects by GHRC in Pieta and Msida. 

“With this, the entire stretch of seafront, starting from the Sa Maison area and extending beyond Ta’ Xbiex, will have been regenerated. Challenges are inevitable, as works must be carried out in an area with ongoing commercial activity, but through collaboration with all stakeholders, especially the Ta’ Xbiex Local Council, we will deliver yet another quality project for residents and the public.”