Back Street fails inspection,
will remain closed for works
PHILIPSBURG--Drivers and area residents eager to be among the first to use the upgraded Western section of Back Street Friday afternoon were stunned to find their way still blocked by heavy concert barriers.
Public Works Commissioner Theo Heyliger vetoed the street opening about two hours before the scheduled opening because too many minor bits were still incomplete.
The section, from Schoolsteeg to Long Wall Road, will remain closed until some time next week to allow contractor Windward Roads time to polish off paving, installation of streetlights and other works. This section of the street has been closed for more than eight weeks now.
This delay pushes the work into the ultra-busy holiday season, a situation Heyliger and Head of New Projects Planning and Development Kurt Ruan were trying to avoid.
“There were too many loose ends. Following the pre-opening inspection, the commissioner was not satisfied and wanted more taken care of before lower Back Street is opened to the public,” Ruan said.
Any extra cost associated with this additional week of work will be covered by the contractor and not passed on to government, Ruan explained. The Back Street beautification, the upper sections of which have been completed and reopened, is financed via the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facilities annual concession fee to government.
Once finished, the street will be paved with bricks and lined by raised sidewalks and palm trees, mirroring the upgrade of Front Street.
