A more than two-year delay to complete a multi-million euro regeneration project in Kalkara shows it was a ‘project with no plan’, shadow minister for transport Mark Anthony Sammut said on Wednesday.

The works on the Kalkara promenade and square began in September 2021 as part of a larger project to create a 4.5-kilometre pedestrian route around Cottonera from Senglea to Bighi.

Speaking at a press conference held in Kalkara's square, Sammut said the regeneration project was first earmarked for completion in 70 weeks, with works managed by the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation (GHRC) at a cost of €6.5 million. 

Well over two years later, the project is not yet complete. Kalkara's local council says works are now in their final stages.

“It is a good and important project, but one that two years on, is still not complete,” Sammut said. 

Last year the GHRC told Times of Malta that the setbacks for the project were due to several reasons, including sewage issues, COVID restrictions and the Ukraine war causing problems with material supplies.

At the time, it was predicted that the project would be completed by the end of 2023. 

“Today, we are in the middle of February 2024, nearly two and a half years later, a year after the original deadline, and a lot of the work is still not complete,” he said.

“This just goes to show how this project lacks planning. There are parts of the works where newly placed concrete had to be destroyed and replaced again, and now we are also seeing works by Enemalta placing new electricity cables, but to do so they had to trench along the promenade to place these new cables.”

He said that Malta is experiencing a trend where infrastructure works take longer than originally planned, cost more than their original budget, and there is no serious planning on such projects. 

PN MP Bernice Bonello said that many residents and businesses have been impacted by the delayed works.

On Tuesday evening, in a Facebook post, the Kalkara Council informed residents that Misraħ L-Arċisqof, Triq Malta Rebbieħa, and Triq Regatta 1969 will face restrictions on Thursday as a final layer of asphalt is placed on the roads. 

The council said the main area of Misraħ L- Arċisqof will be accessible from Triq Kapuċċini and Triq ir-Rnella.

It also said that public transport will be affected on Thursday, with the main stage at the promenade and in front of Esplora closed to the public.

“The Local Council will continue to work hand in hand with GHRC to bring this infrastructural project to an end. With this work in the coming days, we will be finalising all infrastructure work.”