Overland and Noel Bridges set to be open on May 11

By Admin. Updated 5:36 p.m., Tuesday, May 9, 2023, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

The opening of the Overland and Noel bridges will take place on Thursday, May 11, 2023.

According to information from the Economic Planning Division the official opening of temporary Bailey Bridges at Overland and Noel will take place at 3:00 p.m.

Remarks will be delivered by Hon. Camillo Gonsalves, Hon. Montgomery Daniel and the PM Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves (feature address).

The long awaited opening of the bridges is expected to be welcome news for commuters in the North Windward region of mainland St. Vincent.

Backstory

There was a time when the absence of a bridge over the Rabacca Dry River prevented access to and from communities beyond the river, whenever it rained heavily. 

The building of the Rabacca bridge and the Lady Jane bridge next to it solved the problem, ensuring safe passage in times of heavy rains.

But, at least three new challenges have emerged further north and over the last decade or so, making sections of the main road impassable due to heavy rains.

When the Windward Highway was constructed, the areas at Savannah Gutter, Overland, and Noel in Sandy Bay had small waterways that met sections of the main road. 

The areas were not known for regular heavy flows of water and were allowed to run on lowered, horizontal surface drains across the roads.

The cause or contributing factors of the increased flow in those areas over the last few years, when there are heavy rains, are not conclusive.

But, some politicians such as Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and technical experts have publicly stated that issues such as Climate Change, and unsustainable environmental practices in the mountains are key issues.

The inconvenience caused to motorists in recent times has led some to call for the construction of bridges in the areas, especially at Noel and Savannah Gutter.