Sept. 18, 2002 – Work on repairing areas along the North Shore Road will begin next summer, V.I. National Park Deputy Superintendent Judy Shafer said at a meeting Wednesday called to unveil the park's plans for road repairs. The project will take about a year to complete.
Only a handful of St. John residents attended the meeting held at the Legislature building, so Shafer said she would put renderings of the plans on display at the park's Visitor's Center in Cruz Bay for the next week.
Shafer said the biggest improvement will come at the Lind Point overlook, which is often the scene of near misses as vehicles jockey for position so their passengers can take in the view of Cruz Bay below.
"I believe the taxi drivers will love it," Shafer said, noting that at least four taxi vehicles will be able to use the area at one time.
The area will be expanded and a retaining wall installed. A stone wall will grace the water side to keep people from going over the edge.
Cinnamon Bay will get another dozen parking spaces, which will help alleviate the chronic parking problem at this popular beach.
"But we'll never accommodate everybody," Shafer said.
The additional parking spaces will be at a lot near the water treatment plant.
Shafer said that the biggest safety improvement will come at Penn Point, which is located east of the Maho Bay overlook. She said a number of cars have gone over the edge at this location.
To help remedy the problem, the park will cut away eight to 10 feet of the road on the inland side and put up guardrails on the water side. Shafer said that because the land beyond the park's right of way on the water side is privately owned, there was no other solution.
At Maho Bay, the park plans to extend the stone seawall to protect the road from eroding away.
This prompted resident Lorelei Monsanto to ask who gave them permission since the land in this area is privately owned.
Shafer said that the park has a 38-foot right of way along North Shore Road, established when the park last did major repairs in 1991 and 1992.
Improvements are also planned at Hawksnest Bay, which will get parallel parking among more technical improvements, Jumbie Bay and Trunk Bay.
Shafer declined to disclose how much the project, which is funded through the Federal Highway Administration, will cost because it has yet to go out to bid.
Send your comments on the project to Superintendent John King, V.I. National Park, 1300 Cruz Bay Creek, Cruz Bay, St. John, VI 00830 or fax them to 693-9500.
For more information, contact the park's facilities manager, John Javor, at 693-8989, ext. 25.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much—and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
