An operation to place over the St Elmo Breakwater a single-span steel bridge was embarked upon this morning but had to be put off due to bad weather.

Transport Malta said the operation was aborted by the captain of MV Storman  Asia  at 1.35 p.m. because of strong winds and an increase in the sea swell. 

The operation started at 6 a.m.  with the mobilisation on site of the vessel carrying the bridge and the mobilisation of key personnel involved in the operation.

Another attempt to install the bridge will take place when the weather conditions are favourable.

The 70-metre bridge, which weighs 190 tons, arrived on the Storman Asia from Spain last Monday.

The project was unveiled in 2009, when Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt said it was projected to cost €2.8 million.

The new bridge will replace the two-span bridge which was partly demolished in an Italian attack in 1941 and subsequently removed.

The government's original plan was to rebuild a replica of the Victorian bridge but 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.