As part of the territory’s plan to place all electrical cables underground, the V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency has spent the week conducting a ground penetration radar study in an area of downtown Charlotte Amalie encompassing Raadets Gade, Hibiscus Alley, Veteran’s Drive, Tolbod Gade and Post Office Alley.
According to VITEMA’s Ethelbert Benjamin, the radar study is the first phase of the project and is being conducted to detect any archeological artifacts that might be buried underneath the downtown streets.
In order to place the electrical cables underground, the area must first be determined to be clear of any artifacts. The next phase of the project will be to bore holes in the ground to test the soil.
The VITEMA project is made possible by a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Program, with the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority as a sub-grantee. Benjamin said the grant was for approximately $2 million and WAPA is required to match 25 percent of the total grant amount.
In a brief interview Thursday, Hugo Hodge Jr., WAPA executive director, said WAPA will be able to apply the cost of the use of WAPA equipment and manpower hours toward its portion of matching funds. Any additional money owed will come from the Stealth Insurance Fund, Hodge said, a move already approved by the Public Services Commission. Hodge said he is hopeful, though, that that money will not be needed.
VITEMA has applied for two additional grants to cover other areas of downtown Charlotte Amalie. According to Benjamin, once the project is completed all of the electrical cables on Veterans Drive, Main Street, and Back Street, from Market Square to Emancipation Garden, will be underground.
The radar study is scheduled to be completed late Thursday evening.
