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No heavy duty trucks allowed! Barrier placed @ foot of ‘Elevator Hill’

- barrier also a safety measure says Acting Director of PWD, Jeremy W. Hodge
A metal barrier has been placed at the foot of ‘Elevator Hill’ in Sea Cows Bay to prevent concrete trucks and vehicles of a certain height to use the steep end of that road. Photo: VINO
'Elevator Hill', seen here prior to being resurfaced, is regarded as one of the most dangerous roads on Tortola. Photo: VINO/File
'Elevator Hill', seen here prior to being resurfaced, is regarded as one of the most dangerous roads on Tortola. Photo: VINO/File
Acting Director of PWD, Jeremy W. Hodge, it was early last year that Government had indicated it was going to fix the section of the road known as ‘Elevator Hill’ and put measures in place to prevent concrete trucks from damaging it. Photo: VINO/File
Acting Director of PWD, Jeremy W. Hodge, it was early last year that Government had indicated it was going to fix the section of the road known as ‘Elevator Hill’ and put measures in place to prevent concrete trucks from damaging it. Photo: VINO/File
SEA COWS BAY, Tortola, VI- After complaining back in March 2019 that the ‘Elevator Hill’ was an “accident waiting to happen” and that the National Democratic Party (NDP) regime had ignored his district over their two terms in power, Third District Representative Hon Julian Fraser, RA can now continue to breathe a sigh of relief, thanks to the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) Government.

The famous road referred to by many as Elevator Hill due to its steepness, which had been in a deplorable condition for years and had seen many accidents occurred as a result, has been repaired to immaculate condition and Government is ensuring it remains that way for as long as possible.

The Public Works Department (PWD) over a week ago installed a barrier to prevent vehicles of a certain height and particularly concrete trucks, the main culprits for damaging the road, from using that route to get to areas such as Guard House/Threadfall and Chalwell Estate.

No concrete trucks allowed

According to the Acting Director of PWD, Jeremy W. Hodge, it was early last year that Government had indicated that it was going to fix the section of the road and put measures in place to prevent concrete trucks from damaging it.

“The Elevator Hill was compromised due to the spillage of concrete,” Mr Hodge said, adding that the elevation is so much that it causes the concrete to spill from the trucks.

“There is no way for us to remove the concrete from the surface unless it is done before the concrete dries, which means we had to hire machinery to excavate the road to not only remove the concrete but the surface beneath the concrete that was spilt, including the asphalt and some of the structure beneath the road.

“It led to us having to upgrade the entire road,” Mr Hodge told Virgin Islands News Online.

He also said the barrier will also act as a safety precaution as the steep road is not safe for drivers of heavy equipment to use the road.

Government is also fixing an area of that same road, further above, that was undermined and deemed unsafe.

Meanwhile, Hon Fraser could not be reached for comment.

17 Responses to “No heavy duty trucks allowed! Barrier placed @ foot of ‘Elevator Hill’”

  • biker (05/02/2020, 18:57) Like (55) Dislike (1) Reply
    If the concrete trucks damaged the elevator road surface then the 2 concrete companies on Tortola should pay for the road surface repair costs NOT the government/taxpayers!
  • soo (05/02/2020, 19:58) Like (5) Dislike (11) Reply
    I can’t buy land up there then ...
  • pat (05/02/2020, 20:03) Like (2) Dislike (9) Reply
    Just because a certain person live up there lol
  • lol (05/02/2020, 22:29) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
    THAT THING REMINDS ME OF THE DRIVE THRU BY THE BANK
  • nah man (05/02/2020, 22:30) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Put up a sign now saying "drive at your own risk"
  • Sleepy hill (05/02/2020, 22:35) Like (13) Dislike (1) Reply
    No different with sleepy hill going east accident waiting to happen. We are playing the fool. Concrete trucks need to clean up their mess. They are overloading the trucks with concrete and they are well aware of the steepness of the hills. Better can be done. Not only spilling the concrete some drives to fast
  • Road Engineer (05/02/2020, 22:37) Like (14) Dislike (1) Reply
    Elevator Hill is an infamous road, not a famous road. Its steepness is not a noteworthy quality. Everyone knows that this road is hazardous and unsafe and avoided by many. It was poorly designed and was effective engineering work. Its design is not a project that is going to be on anyone’s resume. Nonetheless, with an opportunity to fix the road it was done in like kind. We know that it was too steep, too narrow, too thin a cross section.......etc. Yet it was repaired in like kind.

    The BVI has a small road network with few alternative routes. Other locales has different road clarifications, ie, residential, collector, arterial, freeway, highways......etc. The BVI has multiple use roads; cars, trucks, heavy construction equipment.......etc used the same road. Thus, despite the unsafe nature of Elevator Hill, restricting it to certain traffic place constraints on businesses. The fix for Elevator Hill is redesign and reconstruction. Further, the road network in the BVI is poorly and effectively laid out. Elevator Hill is the norm, not the exception. There are too many steep roads, poorly constructed horizontal and vertical curves, poor drainage.........etc.
  • Goodsense (06/02/2020, 04:16) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
    Good move PWD
  • V.G (06/02/2020, 09:29) Like (1) Dislike (1) Reply
    Come V.G drive North Sound road the road in certain areas width is reduced drastically/around corners its very dangerous as when traverse that drivers tend to avoid such and end up on the other driver's side.No no seems to care about cleaning up after.
  • Real 247365 (06/02/2020, 12:11) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Economical
  • mp (06/02/2020, 13:07) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    my question is, if these equipments cannot take elevator hill. They are going to use the road across from 7th day school or the road by the horse track to get to their clients. Those guys takes elevator because it is a quick route if they are on working on the hills. Should these guys now use Joes Hill, Windy Hill, etc to get back to their quarry if their quarry is pockwood pond? Would these other roads now suffer the same faith?

    The companies & drivers should be held accountable for any damages.

    on another note, elevator road is seriously in a bad state. half that road further up is undermined and I see there are trying to fix it.
  • Longshanks (06/02/2020, 13:17) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    My two cents worth of suggestion - put a similar barrier also further up the road. Trucks don't just go up, they come down and if you don't fix the top the barrier will go next time a truck comes down.
  • rewrsdffds (06/02/2020, 16:06) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Something needs to be done about that corner over there by Panchie. Its ridiculous... Skelton and the other one needs to be subjected to the cleaning up of these roads. They should pay to remove the concrete; i bet they start making their drivers to better.
  • nonsense (06/02/2020, 18:46) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    You Bann the Concrete Trucks but the High Macks have free rein to dig up the roads with their track wheels.
  • Actually (08/02/2020, 11:31) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    The problem isn't the trucks. The problem is the water company that cut through the concrete to make trenches all the way up to Stone Mountain when they put new lines in. Gravity has taken charge and the road is now falling apart in two pieces with the right hand side going up falling down the hill. Yet another example of half-ass work in BVI.
    Also, what is a truck to do if it comes down the hill and comes across the barrier. It's not like it can turn around.


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