The $8.9 million Hillsborough Bridge currently being constructed in Layou is due for completion in February. This fact was revealed by the Minister for Public Works, Cassanni Laville, who stated that Offshore Civil and Marine signed the contract for the bridge construction in April 2021 and commenced work on May 20, 2021 with plans in place to complete it by February 2022.
After the commissioning of the bridge, it will provide direct access from Layou to Roseau and ease traffic on the west-Roseau interchange. Since Hurricane Maria destroyed the bridge in 2017, commuters abandoned the north-Roseau road and switched to the west road; but the road is proving more dangerous to users because of the heavy traffic.
Parliamentary representative for St. Joseph Constituency, Dr. Adis King, said the government is keen on preventing the growing rate of accidents along the west bridge to Roseau, saying the new Hillsborough Bridge will make this possible. She hinted that the long-awaited Layou Valley road will be embarked upon and completed very soon.
Laville said nearly 90-100 feet of bridge deck which is about 20 feet wide will be replaced, including the abutment and the two bridge spaces. A civil engineering consultant at the Ministry of Public Works, Kendall Johnson, explained the extent of work more:
You will see the demolition and reconstruction of the east bridge. Subsequently, we will bring in a crane to do some piling. We are going to strengthen the foundation of the pier because it is in the middle of the river. The old construction sat on the river bed. So we are going to be driving six piles down to a depth approaching 40 feet below the river, so a concrete pad and then build a new pier on top of it.
Kendall Johnson, Civil Engineering Consultant at the Ministry of Public Works
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