Tender for €7 million works in Bugibba Square published after three-year delay

On Tuesday, the tender for the regeneration of Buġibba Square was published, with a €7 million price tag for the completion of the project. This is a much bigger figure than the €1.4 million investment initially announced by Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo in 2021.

At the time, Minister Bartolo explained that the project would include new pavements, a substantial increase in trees and recreational areas for people and children of all ages.

Now, works in the tender outline landscaping work for roads and motorways, paving materials, installation of street furniture, paving and asphalting works, excavating work and drainage construction works, to address a recurrent problem in the area.

While there is no timeline established when the works will commence and finish on the tendering document, when answering to a Parliamentary question raised by Opposition MP Graziella Galea, Minister Bartolo announced that the project is expected to begin after the summer of 2024.

Now Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works Chris Bonnet announced that works will commence in September.

Additionally, he explained that works are expected to take around 14 months to completion. This will put a strain on current businesses in the area, especially those surrounding the square.

The project has been sought after by residents ever since it was announced, after many complaints of having a “pigsty” as a locality.

ADPD – The Green Party Leader Sandra Gauci, during a protest held in July about the state of St Pauls Bay, had said that the locality was left unkept despite the Minister’s promises of a revamped square prior to the election.

She stated that the piazza became a “monument of ugliness” without any aesthetic considerations or serious planning.