Works on the Dock 1 project in Cospicua are proceeding according to schedule and the top layer of tarmac road along Cospicua Seafront will be laid in the coming days.

The Infrastructure Ministry yesterday rejected claims made by the Nationalist Party newspaper that excavation works in the road should have been ready months ago.

The project, which began in January 2011, has been dogged by delays in the tendering process. It was originally meant to be completed a year later.

The ministry said that, in recent days, scarifying works were carried out to align road levels. Other minor works included repositioning water culvers and manholes.

It described the newspaper story as a poor attempt to put the Administration in a bad light, following the failure of the previous Government to complete the project on time.

It said the Nationalist government had taken Cottonera residents for a ride as all the deadlines given for the completion of the project were never met.

During an onsite visit last March following Labour’s election to Government, Infrastructure Minister Joe Mizzi had pledged that the first phase of the project, which includes the Cospicua Seafront and the square next to the St George’s Band Club, would be ready by next month.

The second phase, consisting of the area surrounding the dock itself, should be completed by May next year.