The steel bridge which will link Fort St Elmo to one of the Grand Harbour breakwater arms is currently being fabricated in Spain and will be delivered later this year, Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt has announced.

The bridge will be delivered practically ready to be put in place.

The project was unveiled in 2009, when Dr Gatt said it was projected to cost €2.8 million. It was originally meant to be completed late last year.

The project is being financed by Transport Malta.

The original bridge, partly demolished in an Italian e-boat attack in 1941 and subsequently removed,  had consisted of two spans resting on central pillars, which are still standing.

Although the government's plan was to reconstruct a replica of the Victorian bridge, the proposal was found to require a lot of steel and was not deemed cost-effective.  As a result, a simpler design was drawn up, incorporating a steel arch, a timber deck and an observation area.

The tender conditions specified that the bridge must have a lifespan of 120 years. 12 bids were submitted for the project

The steel bridge is one of the government's projects for the regeneration of Grand Harbour, which also includes the panoramic lift linking Lascaris Wharf to Upper Barrakka, and the removal of the tank-cleaning facility.