Officials document old remains of City Gate bridge

Excavations carried out last week on City Gate Bridge revealed remnants of what could have been the original bridge built by Tumas Dingli in the 1630s and a more modern extension, possibly in the British period in the 1920s.

The excavations were carried out as part of planning for the rebuilding of City Gate and the Opera House site, which has been entrusted to architect Renzo Piano. Officials from Piano’s office were in Malta to inspect the excavations and were seen documenting the discoveries.

What is believed to survive of the original bridge into Valletta are supports within the Grand Ditch which were hewn to support the arched bridgeway into Valletta through Porta San Giorgio/Reale. It seems that the original bridge was narrower than the present one. The rock supports were widened by additional masonry work to accommodate a wider bridge and for heavier vehicular traffic.

The rock supports were formed into rough foundations as pilasters to support masonry semicircular arches that formed the bridge. The rock-cut supports were repeatedly re-utilised every time that the gate and the bridge were modified.

The remains were scheduled by MEPA some years ago.

The foundations of the former Opera House also survive and have also been scheduled.

The sources said that it was unlikely that any remains of the previous City Gates exist, but there could also be remains, buried beneath Freedom Square, of the former railway platform and tunnels which people used to walk from the ticketing booth to the underground platform, and from the square to the ditch.