[WATCH] Strait Street infrastructural works starting next week

Strait Street infrastructural works starting next week

Infrastructure Minister Joe Mizzi said that following the 2 major projects in Valletta over the past few weeks (the opening of the New Parliament and the renovation of Fort St Elmo), the regeneration of Strait Street project would be commencing as of next Monday.

At a press conference earlier today, Mizzi said that some work had already been carried out over the years to deal with the dilapidated buildings in the historically significant street, but that the current project was aimed at breathing new life into the street.

“The infrastructural regeneration of the street has seen the ministry work with a number of entities including Water Services Corporation, Enemalta and MEPA among others,” Mizzi said adding that the regeneration project would also bring together the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, The Office of the Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar and the Valletta 2018 Foundation, which will helm the cultural regeneration of the street.

Mireille Fsadni, from the Rehabilitation Projects Office within the Ministry said that the 650m street would be seeing gradual infrastructural changes starting from next Monday.

“Although much of the paving will be preserved, we will be focusing on renovationg and modernizing some of the oldest infrastructural frameworks like lighting and water pipes,” she said explaining the project to be started on the steps where the road corners with South Street.

“There will be a process of mapping, whereby the flagstones will be labelled and numbered to ensure that they are ultimately placed in their original positions after the services will be changed.”

Fsadni explained that a historical study into the lighting of the street was also being carried out, using old lithographs and images, and that a tender was expected to come out in the coming weeks to renew the lighting fixtures.

“The project on these steps is expected to take some five weeks, but projects on other zones will also start during this period,” Fsadni said adding that the paving project would cost just over €500,000 and that the lighting project would in turn cost some €300,000.

She said that the overall project would include an upgrade of the area behind the law courts and of the area near Vincenti Buildings.

“The latter had already been renewed some time ago, but the paving will be removed and replaced by a lava material which is known to be more durable and also provides more visual unity,” she said explaining that the paving would ultimately be used in other localities and not just discarded.

“The project also foresees the staircases in the more residential areas, where the concrete paving will be replaced by hardstone, which is more typical of the rest of the city.”

Fsadni explained that a study was also being carried out into shop fronts and signs, with an effort to incentivize owners to change them to fit the style of the street better.

Mizzi explained that such a project would also ear in mind the need to respect residents, and that the idea of zoning was meant to spread out works so that the area wouldn’t just suddenly be overwhelmed with changes.