Coastal defences proposed for Marsalforn Bay

According to a project description statement submitted to MEPA, the destruction of the breakwater arm at Marsalforn by recent storms has left the foreshore in Marsalforn Bay exposed to the high waves during North West to North East storms.

This can lead to the formation of standing waves that can reach a 4m height when these hit the shore during big storms, which occur twice every century.

Rough seas pounded Marsalforn Bay in January 2010, with the waves crashing over the promenade, causing significant damage.

People on the scene said the road along the beach was impassable as the seas dislodged the promenade’s tiling, dragging some of the slabs onto the road. A concrete block holding some of the railings was also overturned.

One of the options being considered is the constriction of a submerged breakwater built across the bay. The structure, built in the form of a rubble mound, would incorporate hard coralline limestone spalls wrapped in geogrid netting (a polyester woven fabric).

One of thesolutions being proposed is the renourishment of the beach and the construction of sloping groin (a protective structure of stone or concrete which extends from shore into the water to prevent a beach from washing away) on the West side in order to retain the same sand slopes coupled with a submerged breakwater 0.5 metres below Mean Sea Level.

Several option for breakwaters within Marsalforn Bay were tested for breaking waves in the event of a big storm before these reach the inner foreshore.

The studies have excluded rebuilding the breakwater at its present location because to be effective, it would have to be 160 metres long.

This was deemed to be financially unfeasible and would have a negative impact on water circulation, which would suffer as a consequence of the blockage created at the entrance to the bay. Furthermore, if would be visually unacceptable.

An environmental impact study will be required for this project. The project is set to be completed by August 2013.

The project is being proposed by the Marine & Storm Water Unit in the Ministry for Resources.