Bridging a 70-year historic gap at Valletta Grand Harbour. Design and construction of the new St. Elmo Breakwater Footbridge (Malta)

St. Elmo breakwater was constructed between 1903 and 1909 to convert the unique Valletta Grand Harbour in an allweather port. An opening near its land end was left to prevent water stagnation and shorten routes for smaller crafts. Accessibility to the breakwater was possible by means of a two-span steel footbridge, erected in 1906. This footbridge was partly demolished in 1941 during WWII. The breakwater and its lighthouse remained isolated, only accessible by boat, until 2012, when a new bridge to span the gap was erected as a consequence of a design-and-build competition organized by Transport Malta by the end of 2009.

The project successfully solves, using an innovative design concept, a complex problem: the reconstruction of a piece of Valletta's history, in harsh environmental conditions due its uncommon location, and with exceptional construction constraints due to site inaccessibility. This bridge, with atypical cross sections that prevent water accumulation over the steel elements and their joints, is at the same time contemporary, transparent, functional, durable, with easy maintenance, sustainable and respectful with the history.

The experience of the design and construction team of this signature footbridge is summarized in this article, going from conception and structural analysis (static and dynamic) to transportation, construction and erection using a specialised heavy-lift cargo vessel.