Darryl A. Smalls, commissioner of the Department of Public Works, testified to a largely empty Senate chamber Wednesday night on progress made on the Christiansted bypass and various other projects around the territory.
The Committee on Government Operations, Energy and Veterans was supposed to reconvene at 5 p.m. after a long recess for the commissioner’s remarks, but only Sen. Alica “Chucky” Hansen showed up.
Since no bills were being voted on, quorum was not needed to proceed.
Smalls testified that the Christiansted bypass project was slightly behind schedule. He indicated that the project was 35 percent completed but they were already 43.44 percent through the allotted time.
“We are currently evaluating a possible time extension of 60 days to address the initial issues with the project grading, asphalt submittal progress and the installation of a pipe liner,” he said. “If the contract modification is approved, the percent of work completed will match the time used.”
The estimated completion date for the $5.9 million project is currently listed as Sept. 28, 2012.
Asked whether there were concerns about cost overruns, territorial highway program manager Wystan Benjamin indicated that there were none at this time.
Smalls also testified about work being done to mitigate the threat of flash floods in the La Grange basin near Frederiksted town. The area was the site of destructive flooding in November 2010.
“I must caution that there remains a threat for vehicles, people and animals to be affected by the runoff that emanates from the torrential downpours that can occur,” Smalls said.
Smalls proposed building a retention pond upstream to capture some of the water, though he said financing for the plan was not yet in place. He said his department was applying for a grant of $2,550,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency Clean Water State Revolving Fund for the project.
Smalls provided a brief overview of the territory’s use of funds received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The territory has used $17,226,673.82 of the $18 million it received through the federal program, and the remaining funds are earmarked for ongoing projects, he said.
The commissioner also discussed the need for more burial space for veterans on St. Thomas and St. Croix. On St. Thomas, Public Works is planning to build an above ground crypt in East Cemetery to confront the space shortage. On St. Croix, the department is seeking to expand the King’s Hill cemetery as the Christiansted and Frederiksted cemeteries are already filled to capacity.
Hansen used her undivided time at the hearing to hold the commissioner’s feet to the flames concerning several infrastructure problems plaguing St. Croix. She confronted the commissioner about the lack of ferry service between the big island and St. Thomas and the general disrepair of the roads on St. Croix.
Hansen invited Carol Johnson to testify. Johnson leads an ad hoc community group advocating for the repaving of Rt. 63 between Creque Dam Road and Ham’s Bluff.
She argued that the large trucks making shipments from the Aggregate Quarry have destroyed the road over the last ten years. She said the poor conditions were a nuisance for residents of the northwest corner of St. Croix and claimed that emergency vehicles could no longer reach them in a timely manner.
“We need a plan to fix this road and put it back to a state where it can be traveled,” Johnson told Smalls.
Smalls agreed that the road was in poor shape and that something should be done, but could not promise any short-term relief.
“The road base is gone,” he said. “It is beyond patching at this point.”
Smalls said an RFP had already been released for a soil analysis of the area, the first step in reconstructing the road. However, he pointed out that the project would be expensive, estimating that it costs the government $1 million per mile of road reconstructed.
Johnson indicated these high costs were part of the reason why there are so many outstanding infrastructure issues on the islands.
“As a territory we are challenged,” Smalls said. “We are significantly and severely challenged.”
