The contractor responsible for the “unacceptable delays” of the Dock 1 regeneration project has been sacked on orders by Transport Minister Austin Gatt.
Dr Gatt said the delays had caused unacceptable inconvenience to residents so he ordered that a new contractor be found to immediately complete the roadworks on the Cospicua seafront in time for Holy Week celebrations.
In a short statement, the Transport Ministry said Dr Gatt had ordered the immediate engagement of another contractor to complete the works between St Theresa Street and Cospicua Seafront Street.
The new contractor will start working on Tuesday and the job is expected to be completed within three weeks.
The ministry said it was having talks with the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation and the Contracts Department for the removal of the contractor responsible for the whole Dock 1 area rehabilitation project.
The statement was issued a few minutes before Labour leader Joseph Muscat held a press conference on site to complain about the delays and to express solidarity with Cospicua residents, who have had to suffer the inconvenience.
Dr Muscat said the government had made its announcement when it learnt about the Labour press conference.
He recalled that an elderly woman died after tripping in a trench in the area, pointing out that the project had a history of missed deadlines and the government should have acted earlier to see the project completed.
Work, he said, started in January last year when it was meant to begin in 2009 and since then had proceeded intermittently.
The opposition spokesman on public works, Charles Buhagiar, said the project missed one deadline after another.
It was first meant for completion at the end of last year and then the Prime Minister had said it would be ready in April. But much work remained to be done before the project could be finished. The overhaul of the Dock No 1 area, which is estimated to cost about €7.5 million, was partly funded by the EU and is expected to convert the whole stretch of Xatt ir-Risq, from Vittoriosa to Cospicua, into an open area for residents.