The alternate road to North Sound, which was severely damaged, is now undergoing rehabilitation. Photo:Facebook

Ninth District Representative and Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon Vincent O. Wheatley, informed Virgin Islands News Online that work began on this road over the weekend and is expected to be completed within three months. Photo:Facebook

Ninth District Representative and Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon Vincent O. Wheatley, informed Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) that work began on this road over the weekend and is expected to be completed within three months.

Damaged in 2025

This road, significant for the island’s tourism sector, was heavily damaged by flooding in 2025.

"This road was totally destroyed by the force of the water. The road is a very important road to Virgin Gorda for a couple of reasons. If the other road is damaged for any reason, that’s the only way you can get from North Sound to the Valley via the land or vice versa," Hon Wheatley said.

Critical for tourism product 

He emphasised the critical nature of this road, stating that it is essential to have it repaired as quickly as possible. 

"I think it is critical to get this road repaired as quickly as possible. It went to tender last year, we had a winning bid, and that contractor has started the works over the weekend."

The Ninth District Representative explained, "This road also serves as a very important tourist route because it gives you the opportunity to drive completely around the island. Around Gorda Peak, we will see some of the most beautiful seascapes and landscapes that you could ever imagine, so you could go up one way and come back down the other way, so it is a very important road to our tourism product, and it is very important that the particular road is not kept closed too long."

New design

Phase one involves removing the old concrete in preparation for the new design.

A new design has been developed to ensure that if heavy flooding occurs in the future, the same damage does not happen again.

"The engineer has put together a very intricate design to prevent the road from being damaged by severe flooding, like what we experienced in 2025," Hon Wheatley shared.