New pier on track, rocks
brought in from St. Kitts
POINTE BLANCHE--Steel rods are being welded together and gigantic aqua-pods that will be locked into place with GPS guidance to form a breakwater are being formed as work continues in the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facilities expansion project.
Rocks to reinforce the newly-filled-in section for the cargo facility were shipped in from St. Kitts. This was not only a quick and easy transport, but the size and quantity of boulders needed for the project would have caused severe safety issues and significant damage to the island’s roads if they had been brought from the French-side quarry, according St. Maarten Harbour Holding Company Managing Director Mark Mingo.
The filling-in for the new cargo area and the dredging of Great Bay in preparation for the foundation of the new 445-metre-long 21-metre-wide mega-cruise ship pier are being carried out under the “best environmental practices,” Mingo said.
The water around the dredge is cloudy with sand participles that will settle after the work is completed. The sea grass disrupted and uprooted during the dredging will grow back, according to an environmental impact study.
The clear white sand dredged up from the bay will be pumped onto the Great Bay beach to replenish sand that has been lost over time and to make it twice as wide, giving beach-goers twice as much area to lounge in the sun. Sand will also be pumped onto the Little Bay and Belair beaches.
The sand is full of shells, a plus for tourists and residents who like to collect these items, Mingo said. “We are not only building a new cruise ship pier to accommodate the newer and larger vessels, but we are also going back to the community.”
The tons of sand pumped from the bottom of the bay will also be used as fill for the base of the ring road around Great Salt Pond that will alleviate traffic congestion in Philipsburg and surrounding communities and will create a final boundary around the pond, curbing illegal filling.
