PWD resumes Brewers Bay drainage project
This has been the case despite the National Democratic Party (NDP) Government borrowing a $16M loan in 2015 from the Social Security Board (SSB) to address the road repairs and rehabilitation issues.
Then came the floods and Hurricanes last year that further eroded the infrastructure on Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke and Anegada.
After that, not much has been done to restore the poor roads and bridges with Sea Cows Bay, Long Look, East End, West End, Pariquita Bay on Tortola and Valley, Virgin Gorda having some of the worst roads.
Meanwhile, the Public Works Department (PWD) has last week announced that the Brewers Bay Road Drainage Improvement Project resumes following a few delays.
Brewers Bay drainage to be addressed first
In a Government Information Service (GIS) press release issued on Friday April 6, 2018 Deputy Director for the PWD, Mr G. Navarro Donovan said, “The overall project goal is to reduce flood risks in the Brewers Bay community by improving drainage along Brewers Bay Road East which leads towards the Brewers Bay Community Centre.”
Many residents for years have complained bitterly about the poor roads in that district and the frequent flooding once it rains in the Brewers Bay area.
Mr Donovan added, “The project is one of many being implemented under the regional iLAND Resilience Project to increase resilience to climate change impacts, including more frequent heavy rain events leading to increased flood risks.”
It is unclear, if this time the challenges of flooding over the many years in Brewers Bay will be corrected but the PWD senior officer said in the same press release that “the drainage improvement design focuses on helping the natural drainage system (the ghuts) in the area to best function again by restoring connectivity along their path and directing over-road stormwater flows back into these systems."
The project design
The Brewers Bay drainage design includes three (3) main components according to the GIS press release:
1. Two sets of box drains and culverts - to direct ghutstorm water flows under the road at the two areas where the ghut crosses the road,
2. Road re-grading and curb & slipper installation - to direct over-road stormwater flows into the ghut via the installed box drains,
3. Bridge retrofit - to help direct over-road stormwater flows into the ghut and out to sea via an existing mangrove wetland area that naturally helps to filter and treat stormwater.
Who is paying?
Government spokeswomen Nekita Turnbull said, “The iLAND Resilience Project on Climate Change Adaptation and Sustainable Land Management is funded through the European Union Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) and is coordinated regionally by the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).”
Ms Turnbull added, “The Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour is responsible for managing local project implementation.”
She concluded by advising the public that, "Works will continue throughout this month and are scheduled every Monday to Saturday from 7:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. Motorists are asked to exercise caution in the area while the project is implemented," Ms Turnbull stated.
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11 Responses to “PWD resumes Brewers Bay drainage project”
Where are our engineers learning to build roads. It's obvious that they have learned nothing, Hurricanes Irma and Maria has shown us that
Let's hope that the governor's plan to regulate the industry will be swift and forthcoming with accordance to the UK-British Isle standards