Dec. 30, 2004 – Construction work will soon begin on an improved Red Hook marine and passenger facility.
In a release issued Wednesday, V.I. Port Authority Executive Director Darlan Brin said work on the new facility would begin Jan. 10.
In October of 2003, the VIPA board selected St. Thomas-based Island Roads Corp. as contractor for the construction of the Red Hook marine facility and approved $4.5 million for its construction. (See " VIPA Gets a $10.7m Loan for Capital Projects").
The upgraded facility will include new ferry docks with an enclosed terminal for passengers. Currently, there is limited seating for passengers traveling from Red Hook to St. John or the British Virgin Islands and not much in the way of covered shelters.
A new barge ramp and an improved vehicle parking lot will also be a part of the upgrade. During construction the lot adjacent to the Ivanna Eudora Kean High School will be used as a temporary parking lot with shuttle service to the dock until construction is completed.
Brin said the project is expected to be complete in one year.
Construction of the facility will not disrupt normal passenger and vehicular travel from the current Red Hook facility. However, heavy cargo transfer will no longer be allowed at the facility until the upgrade is completed, the release stated. Individuals are requested to take their cargo to the Crown Bay cargo dock, commonly known as the Sandfill, in the meantime.
Brin, in the release, stated that the Port Authority would take measures to ensure the safety of passengers since passenger activity and construction will take place simultaneously.
"The Port Authority is aware that the safety of passengers and the occupants of automobiles using the Red Hook facility during construction must be assured," Brin said in the release. "While there will be disruption and inconvenience created by construction activities, the Port Authority, together with the contractor, will institute safety and security measures largely to the benefit of the traveling public and waterborne traffic."
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