No action has been taken on a section of road deemed “an immediate danger” by an architect more than two years ago.

In May 2021, an architect was asked to inspect a bulging ledge to the side of Dawret in-Nawfraġju (Shipwreck Promenade) in St Paul’s Bay by the local council and Infrastructure Malta after it was flagged by a resident.

In an e-mailed report seen by Times of Malta, the architect called the possibility of sections of the ledge falling onto users of the boathouses below “very clear... [and] an immediate danger that must be addressed”.

He said there was “undoubtedly some structural issue in the structure retaining the road,” and that roadworks taking place at the time or immediately before his visit could have contributed to the situation.

Comparisons of photos taken during his visit to earlier images of the site “clearly showed discrepancy between the structure that has registered movement and that which does not,” he said.

“I can only confirm that a dangerous structure has resulted at Shipwreck Promenade, which structure is part of the road retaining structure and which danger should be immediately addressed,” he concluded.

The report was sent to members of the St Paul’s Bay council, mayor Alfred Grima and an architect at Infrastructure Malta.

The resident who flagged the issue to the council – and who asked not to be named – told Times of Malta the section of road had seemed “dangerous” back in 2021, but now looked as if it “could collapse any second”.

“It’s frustrating and I’m quite angry. You highlight a danger, and nobody wants to do anything about it,” he said.

“In Malta, we’re not proactive; we’re reactive. Unless something happens, nobody acts.”

When the resident tried to report the issue to the police, they told him they were unable to file a report without the original document detailing the architect’s findings, he said, a response Kamra tal-Periti president Andre Pizzuto called “ridiculous”.

“I’m surprised by the police’s response as they are able to commission a report from a perit (structural engineer) themselves,” Pizzuto said.

The ledge immediately below and to the side of the road has remained unfixed since 2021.

'Would have taken minutes for police to call architect'

“It’s ridiculous expecting the public to do their work for them,” Pizzuto said, adding it would only have taken minutes for the police to call the architect and verify the report. 

Responding to questions, the St Paul’s Bay local council said that “for clarification purposes, it must be said that the architect... made a reference to the structure retaining the road and not to the road per se”.

“It is also imperative to note that the boathouses below, which form an integral part of the structure, are privately owned,” the council said.

At the time of going to print, Infrastructure Malta did not respond to questions sent last week. 

The area of St Paul’s Bay where Shipwreck Promenade is located has been the site of several rock collapses in recent years.

The government cannot keep ignoring the fact that certain areas of Malta are prone to high geological risks- Malta Chamber of Geologists president Peter Gatt

In December, residents were forced to leave their homes after the ground under the pavement on Triq Xagħjra tal-Bandieri collapsed, while in 2016, a swimmer was critically injured when rocks fell on her as she swam in the area just 150 metres away.

Both incidents occurred on the opposite side of Xemxija Bay from Shipwreck Promenade, an area that, in December, president of the Malta Chamber of Geologists Peter Gatt told Times of Malta is one of high risk.

“This part of St Paul’s Bay is a geologically active area exhibiting large faults, extensive areas of fault breccia and several rock deformations related to past tectonic activity,” Gatt said at the time.

“The government cannot keep ignoring the fact that certain areas of Malta are prone to high geological risks,” he said.

According to a geological map of the Maltese islands found on a government website, the bedrock under both protruding sides of Xemxija Bay is of the same composition of limestone.