Flexible opening times
to alleviate bridge woes
~ Marine Trades to do ‘whatever it takes’ to remedy situation ~
SIMPSON BAY--Flexible opening times, including night-time openings, will be one immediate measure implemented by Government and marine authorities to give yachts alternative options for exiting Simpson Bay Lagoon if winds are too high to open the bridge safely at the pre-set times, St. Maarten Marine Trades Association (SMMTA) president Jeff Boyd disclosed at a press conference Friday.
The association held an emergency meeting with the Executive Council on Thursday to discuss temporary solutions for the current bridge crisis, at least to get yachts through the charter season that has just begun.
The meeting followed the recent report from the Dutch Ministry of Transport and Waterworks that revealed defects with the bridge’s lifting arm mechanisms and fatigued mechanisms below-deck. Stopping the drawbridge in midair from fully opening due to emergencies has also caused extra stress to the below-deck mechanisms.
The report indicated that opening the bridge in a sustained wind of 20 knots or higher could have serious consequences.
Boyd said Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority (SLAC) would monitor wind speeds taken from measurements at the airport, as this equipment is considered more accurate, and decide accordingly about bridge openings.
“If the bridge cannot open because of excessive wind, then opening times will be adjusted. But we will still try to keep to the set times,” he added. “We also determined night-time is an optimal time to open because there is less wind and less road traffic.”
It was pointed out to the Executive Council that multiple, and much shorter, bridge openings caused less disruption to traffic, on land and on water.
“If this works, and everyone – including the motorists – is happy with it, then I think you will see the ordinance being changed. Time will tell,” Boyd added.
Several megayacht captains who attended the press conference were very receptive to the alternative openings, saying charter guests preferred to travel at night so vacation time was not wasted.
The marine industry has warned that any catastrophic failure of the bridge could incarcerate yachts in the lagoon if they were too big to exit via the French bridge, and consequently the island economy and marine industry’s reputation would be seriously tarnished.
According to Boyd, SMMTA offered at the meeting to do “whatever it takes” to assist Government, by assisting with financing to subsidise and speed up emergency repairs to the bridge.
“Until engineering reports come back, we just don’t know whether that means US $50,000 or half a million,” he said. “The increased bridge fees are directly related to the long-term repairs of the bridge. What we are talking about today is short-term emergency repairs to get us through this season.
“We have no issue with the raise in the tariff. The increase is acceptable; we only need to change the way the increase was done. We realise, as yacht captains do, that fees have to be generated to maintain the bridge.”
Commenting on bridge fees, SMMTA member Robbie Ferron highlighted the effects bridge fees had on small yachts.
“We’ve already lost 50 per cent of our business from small yachts in the last two years,” he said. “Small yachts, most of which anchor on the French side, do bring employment potential and career paths for people to learn about the marine industry. In terms of future development, losing those yachts does concern me, and that was brought up with the Executive Council too.”
Boyd said SMMTA would be recommending to Government a formula for a fee scale that would better equate the fee to the class of boat, so smaller boats would not be charged unjustly.
He added that he was very pleased with Government’s response to the bridge situation and SLAC’s willingness to facilitate revised bridge openings. SLAC and SMMTA said they would be publishing the new arrangements early next week.
