May 23, 2001 — With the Legislature using the local road fund for other purposes, Wayne Callwood, Public Works commissioner, told about 30 St. Croix residents Tuesday night that they shouldn’t expect his department to do much about the gaping potholes that pock the island’s roadways.
The bottom line when it comes to the roads, Callwood said, is money. He said the Legislature has appropriated $1 million for road work, but that won’t go very far. And the $12 million Public Works gets from the Federal Highway Department cannot be used on local roadways.
Callwood was speaking at a town meeting organized by Sen. Emmett Hansen II to address the state of the island’s roads, drainage, sewage and other facilities under the purview of Public Works.
"Our local roads are in very, very bad condition," Callwood said. "We’re trying to address the real critical areas. But $1 million can’t do it." Until more funding is allocated, he said, "We probably won’t see a real improvement of the roads on the local side."
At the same time, however, $2.4 million in federal funds is being used to make three stretches of the island’s main roads -– the only kind eligible or federal funding -– a little less hostile. Paving contractors are improving Route 64, just east of the airport road continuing north to Queen Mary Highway; Queen Mary itself from the Paradise intersection to Sunny Isle; and Queen Mary north through Grove Place to near the old drive-in theater.
The work includes excavation, shoulder and ditch reconditioning, placement of aggregate-base hot asphalt concrete pavement and asphalt pavement milling. The project is scheduled to be finished in early June.
Hansen said he will announce the times and dates for other town meetings on St. Thomas and St. John.
