USVI Infrastructure News

A recap from the St. Thomas Source about some projects going on around the Territory:

"A consultant will look at several plans, as well as all forms of surface travel, public transportation and road infrastructure. PB America, which has worked with DPW in the past, is being asked to undertake a so-called multi-modul examination using federal funding, as the territory works to make sense of clogged and inferior roadways. The plans on St. Thomas include: -- the Long Bay Road Project, an expansion project currently underway, extending from Lovers Lane to Mandala Circle south to the entrance of West Indian Corp. and north on Hospital Line to Kmart; -- Plan 8, an expansion and re-routing project on the books for years, intended to re-route traffic around the Legislature by filling in a portion of the bay; -- Veterans Drive safety improvements, roadway expansion and bulkhead repairs along the downtown waterfront; and -- The East-West Corridor, an improvement and expansion project extending from the airport to Red Hook and encompassing all of the above. As he anticipates tackling not just major projects, but undoubtedly major concerns, given the sensitivity of anything that impacts the Charlotte Amalie historic district, Smalls has some credits under his belt. On St. Croix, drainage problems in Williams Delight are being addressed, and Smalls says construction on Midland Road, long neglected, is nearing completion. On St. Thomas, work on a bypass on Leonard Trotman Drive in Tutu is underway, taking travelers behind the mall and to the site of the new public library. Groundbreaking is slated for approximately June 2008. Also, much-needed improvements are underway on the Red Hook Road and work will commence at the Coki Point beach entrance. Work is also planned at the Nadir-Bovoni intersection, as well as the roadway through Lima, and finally at Drake's Seat. In the West End, road work near Fortuna is on the drawing board. St. John will soon see some improvements on the Bordeaux Mountain Road. "I truly believe there's light at the end of the tunnel," said Smalls, who gives himself a "C" grade so far. "I always like to improve. It helps me grow."