Work by the V.I. Water and Power Authority should be completed by the end of the month at the Veterans Drive intersection near Addelita Cancryn Junior High School and Banco Popular.
Motorists will be relieved to see the end in sight. While initially causing some inconvenience when the work began early in June, traffic for the past two weeks has been further rerouted, forcing eastbound drivers to travel first to the intersection by Pueblo Supermarket in Sub Base before being able to turn back toward town.
The work is part of WAPA’s approximately $2.5 million ongoing project to rehabilitate aging pipelines under Veterans Drive. The piping at the intersection is more than 25 years old.
WAPA spokeswoman Cassandra Dunn said Monday that Noel Hodge, WAPA’s St. Thomas water director, said July 31 should see that portion of the work completed, barring unforeseen delays, such as bad weather.
Dunn apologized for the delay in the work. She said the crew had encountered problems pressure-testing the line, "so they had to continue until the water was flowing at the pressure to make it the best service possible."
Hodge stressed, "We have to get it right," she said.
Work on the lines will continue after the street area is completed, Dunn said, but it will be inside the fence at Cancryn and won’t affect traffic.
"The authority appreciates the patience of the motoring public during this important rehabilitation effort," she said.
