A tender for the upkeep and maintenance of the Marsa-Qormi footbridge will be published “in the next six weeks,” according to government sources.

The contract will cover the cleanliness of the area and the maintenance of the lifts, which were closed earlier this week and will remain so until the tender is awarded, sources said.

It is understood the winning company will also be expected to patrol the area in person to discourage intentional damage to the site.

“It’s in their interests to avoid vandalism,” they said, explaining the company would be expected to pay for any subsequent repairs.

Describing the crossing as having “fallen into a sort of no man’s land,” government sources stressed it was unrealistic to expect the police to patrol the area continuously, adding that local councils were not responsible for enforcement.

The site had become “very expensive” to maintain, they said. It had become a hotspot for drug abuse and people sleeping rough in the winter. 

While the tender covers the Marsa-Qormi crossing, the winning company will “probably” also assume management of the Aviation Avenue overpass in Luqa and the pedestrian footbridge in Blata l-Bajda, sources said, though this has not been confirmed. 

Last month, Nationalist Party MP Darren Carabott warned that the Marsa crossing had become rife with “abuse, dirt, and illegalities,” writing on Facebook he had found syringes and plastic bottles used to inhale drugs while on a visit to the site.

In response to questions from Times of Malta at the time, a spokesperson for Infrastructure Malta had said the agency “made a number of formal reports in relation to vandalism and misuse of its infrastructure to the relevant authorities”.

“I underline that Infrastructure Malta is not responsible for enforcement and/or cleansing of public areas,” the spokesperson had said.

Responding to complaints about the functioning of the overpass’ lifts, the agency said it was disappointed with how its infrastructure was being abused.

“Our lifts, some more than others, are frequently subject to misuse and outright vandalism. IM is working with other government entities to curb this,” the agency had said.