St. Croix residents will have to wait just a little longer for the much-anticipated opening of the Christiansted bypass.

Darryl Smalls, commissioner of the Department of Public Works, said this week that construction will not be completed until mid to late November. After that, there will be a short period of time during which the construction will be checked before the road is open to the public.

Smalls declined to give a firm date for the grand opening, but said he was confident it would be before the end of the year.

Over the summer, Smalls testified at a Senate hearing that the bypass would be open in October. He did not give a reason for the delay.

Smalls said DPW decided to upgrade the stoplights used in the project. Rather than under-the-road sensors, the new stoplights will use video cameras to monitor traffic.

He also said the department decided to use more energy-efficient streetlights than lighting installed elsewhere on the island. He said he was currently waiting for those lights to arrive, but did not expect a delay in delivery.

Overall, Smalls said he was happy with the progress being made on the project.

“I’m quite pleased with where we are right now,” he said.