Public outcry after Għar Lapsi ramp paved over with asphalt

Siġġiewi Mayor Dominic Grech has received backlash after posting images of the project undertaken by the Public Works Department.

“We’ll finish this job in a few days so that everyone can enjoy this beautiful beach safely again”, Grech said in an emoji-filled Facebook posting.

However, the mayor’s announcement received instant criticism, with many questioning the material used for the path’s upgrade.

While some said the fresh black asphalt was “ugly” and “unnecessary”, others pointed out that the material will cause surface temperatures to rise.

Another commenter said that appropriate materials in natural colours wouldn’t “leach toxicity into the sea” and be potentially hazardous to aquatic life.

On Friday, Mayor Dominic Grech pointed out that the ramp was already made of old asphalt, and that “at some point in time it was patched in with concrete and regular asphalt”.