Government officials and Sibilly family members were out in force Tuesday to break ground for a re-routed road in front of the Joseph Sibilly School in Estate Mafolie.
The project, which will shift the road 100 feet to the south, will provide a safe place to drop off and pick up students, allow off-street parking and improve the roadway.
Its $1.3 million cost is being borne by the Federal Highway Administration. The project will take nine months and provide jobs for up to 20 Virgin Islanders, according to a Government House release, which said at least 30 percent of the work will be done by "disadvantaged business enterprises."
The project, designed by Alton Adams Jr. and Associates, will realign and rebuild 1,000 feet of the road, and the existing road will be converted to a parking area. Island Roads Corp. is the primary contractor.
Gov. Charles W. Turnbull praised the Sibilly family and the project, noting one way to relieve traffic congestion in Charlotte Amalie is to "use, improve and build more back roads."