The merchant vessel “Great Faith” is expected to arrive at Gibraltar from China tomorrow. It is carrying a cargo of about 200 pre-fabricated modular units which are required in order to complete the construction of the residential care home for the elderly at the former Rooke site.

A statement continued: “The vessel will be unloaded at the dockyard and the units, which are the size and shape of containers, will be transported overland by large trucks to the site. This operation has been planned to take place at night, given the considerable disruption that would otherwise be caused to traffic flow. This means that from 11:00pm to 6:00am on Thursday 12 January and for a period not exceeding 7 days, Queensway will be closed to traffic from Trafalgar Roundabout to the roundabout at Coaling Island junction. However, access will remain at all times for the residents of the area and temporary advance diversion signs will be placed accordingly.

“The Government is conscious that there will also be considerable noise generated by the unloading operation at the dockyard and would like to apologise to the public for any inconvenience caused. It is important to bear in mind that the beneficiaries of this project will be many of Gibraltar’s senior citizens, and that there is expected to be a significant knock-on effect with homes being released for rental to persons on the housing waiting list.”