2.7 Million Dollar Disaster Rehabilitation Project For Gros-Islet

Contact: Julita Peter

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 - A 2.7 million dollar Shoreline Enhancement Works and Disaster Rehabilitation Project for Bay Street in Gros Islet was officially launched on Monday September 11, 2001.   

The project consists of several components including the construction of two offshore breakwaters as well as storm-water drains and a new and modern public facility with toilets and showers on the eastern side of Bay Street.  The breakwaters are to reduce the damaging effects of hurricane waves and to trap any sand that may be moving along the shore. The drains are intended to divert water away from the beach and improve the water quality.

Member of Parliament for Gros-Islet Honourable Mario Michel says the project will rehabilitate and enhance Bay Street, which was severely damaged as a result of sea surges caused by Hurricane Lennie three years ago.   He says it is part of a concerted effort to transform Bay Street into a major tourism hub, encouraging visitors to spend their money in the town.  

“Bay Street will never be the same again. When this project is finished we will have an enhanced beach and a walkway… We expect that on the seaside you will not see permanent structures, no concrete structures, but a kind of open-air restaurant,” Mr. Michel said.

All this, he noted, would need the cooperation of residents and business owners if these efforts were to pay expected dividends.

The construction firm of C.O. Williams was awarded the contract for executing the project after successfully tendering for the job. Two-thirds of the total cost of the project is coming from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) while the Government of St. Lucia is providing the additional funding.

Work on the project is expected to be completed before year-end. 

Currently another disaster rehabilitation project is being undertaken in the town of Soufriere, which was also devastated by Hurricane Lennie.  That project involves pile diving and decking construction for a tender pier in the recreational beach area of the town, construction of wetlands to the south of the recreational beach area and installation of mooring buoys at Rachette Point.     

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