A narrowing of the Xemxija promenade is only a temporary measure to allow water culverts connecting the Pwales valley to the sea to be repaired and cleaned.  

The promenade will be widened again in June after the necessary repair work is carried out, Infrastructure Malta (IM) said.

Walkers and joggers who frequent the popular promenade recently noticed that a part of the walkway had been significantly narrowed to the extent that two people could not walk side by side.  

“The promenade had to be narrowed so that, while the works are carried out, vehicular access is not affected. A temporary footpath has been constructed so that a safe passageway is provided,” an IM spokesperson said.

When the Xemxija coast road (Xatt Il-Pwales) was built, culverts connecting Pwales valley to the sea were constructed to drain excess rainwater, Birdlife Malta CEO, Mark Sultana told Times of Malta. Birdlife manages the Simar Nature Reserve in the valley.

The culverts need regular cleaning as debris from the sea, including pebbles and rocks, block them, Sultana said. He said the culverts have been needing  cleaning since the first few months of last year, adding that storms in the winter of 2021/2022 led to significant blockages.

Infrastructure Malta will be cleaning and repairing the existing culverts and installing three new pipes, at an estimated cost of €120,000, in the coming months, the spokesperson said.