Restoration works to return part of the Santa Margherita fortification line surrounding Vittoriosa and Cospicua to their former glory have been completed.

Works involved restoring the stepped wing on Triq San Dwardu that links Vittoriosa to Firenzuola Bastion as well restoration works on fortification walls at Xatt ir-Risq, at a combined cost of €200,000.

The six-month-long works on form part of a broader €8 million project to restore 25 historical sites across Cottonera that was launched last year.

Works on the bastion were completed just weeks after an extensive four-year project to restore the St John Almoner bastions surrounding Cospicua. Those bastions, which had fallen into a state of disrepair with the passage of time, were repaired by the government’s restoration directorate.

Cottonera-wide restoration works are being coordinated by the Kottonera Foundation, a government-run entity set up to implement, monitor and review a strategy for the Cottonera area.

The foundation is chaired by Labour MP and Cottonera local Glenn Bedingfield.

"The regeneration plan for Cottonera is taking shape and I am very happy with the work being done so far," Bedingfield said.

"Restoration works are an important element in our strategy and the Restoration Directorate is doing a magnificent job in restoring 7km of fortifications in and around the three cities and Kalkara."

Bedingfield said he was also looking forward to more projects in the pipeline "especially those creating new open spaces within cities which are densely populated."