In 1900 the Admiralty began making plans to construct a breakwater so as to protect the harbour from both the rough seas as well as potential enemy intrusion.

The element of surprise was lost when the British detected the impending attack using radar, which the Italians had not anticipated.

This did not allow access to the harbour; on the contrary the collapsed span ended up completely blocking the entrance.

[8] The coastal batteries of Fort Saint Elmo[9] subsequently opened fire on the attackers, and most of the vessels were destroyed, with a few being captured.

[11] However, it became apparent that a reconstruction in accordance with the original design would not be financially feasible due to the quantity of steel required.

The bridge was designed by the Spanish architects Arenas & Asociados,[6] and it was fabricated at A Coruña before being shipped to Malta on board the Storman Asia.

[12] The bridge was inaugurated on 24 July 2012 by Austin Gatt, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications,[10][14] and it was subsequently opened to the public.

"[12][19] Since its inauguration it has become a landmark,[12] and it has occasionally suffered damage to its decking or railings, which have resulted in it being closed to the public for some periods of time to allow for repair works.