St Julian’s Residents Fearful of Cresta Quay Excavation

It’s 7:30 AM, and the usually bustling St Julian’s promenade is eerily quiet. The cause? Not the early hour, but the ominous rumble that’s been echoing through the neighbourhood since dawn. The source? The ongoing excavation at Cresta Quay, a development that’s got residents on edge.

Hot Malta has received numerous complaints from worried residents who claim that the excavation work is causing their homes to shake and their walls to crack. “I live in fear,” says Maria, a long-time resident of St Andrew’s Drive, just metres away from the construction site. “Every morning, I wake up to the sound of explosions and the feeling of my house shaking. It’s terrifying.”

The Cresta Quay project, a €150 million development by Tumas Group, promises to transform the area into a ‘smart city’ with luxury apartments, offices, and retail spaces. But for many residents, the promise of progress is being overshadowed by the reality of the construction process.

According to the project’s environmental impact statement, the excavation involves drilling and blasting to create a basement for the new development. But residents argue that the frequency and intensity of the blasts are far beyond what was initially proposed.

This isn’t the first time concerns have been raised about the Cresta Quay project. In 2018, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) received over 100 objections from residents and environmental groups. Concerns ranged from the project’s impact on traffic and parking to its potential effect on the local ecosystem.

But perhaps the most pressing concern then, as it is now, was the potential impact of the excavation on the stability of nearby buildings. In fact, a geotechnical report submitted as part of the project’s environmental impact statement warned of the risk of ‘ground vibrations’ and ‘settlement’ due to the excavation.

So, what’s causing the shaking? According to Dr. Joseph Caruana, a geologist at the University of Malta, the vibrations are likely due to the blasting technique being used.

“Blasting is a controlled explosion designed to break up rock. But if not done correctly, it can cause significant vibrations that can be felt some distance away,” he explains. “The problem is exacerbated when the blasting is done close to the surface, as is the case here.”

Residents have been vocal in their complaints, with many taking to social media to share their experiences and demand action. The St Julian’s Local Council has also weighed in, calling on the authorities to intervene.

In response, the Tumas Group has assured residents that they are taking all necessary precautions to mitigate the impact of the blasting. They have also offered to send engineers to inspect any damage caused by the work.

But for many residents, these assurances are not enough. They want the blasting to stop until a thorough investigation into the cause of the vibrations has been carried out.

“We understand that development is necessary, but not at the cost of our safety and well-being,” says Maria. “We just want this to stop until we know for sure that our homes are not at risk.”

The future of the Cresta Quay project hangs in the balance as residents, developers, and authorities grapple with the fallout from the ongoing excavation. With the project already behind schedule, all eyes are on the upcoming meeting between the Tumas Group, the St Julian’s Local Council, and concerned residents to find a solution that balances progress with safety.

“We hope that this meeting will lead to a resolution that respects the rights of both the developers and the residents,” says a spokesperson for the St Julian’s Local Council. “We want what’s best for our community, and that means finding a way forward that ensures everyone’s needs are met.”