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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Photo Focus: Veterans Drive Reopens

Both the east and westbound lanes of Veterans Drive in downtown St. Thomas reopened to traffic on Saturday. (Photo by Jim Tunick)
Both the east and westbound lanes of Veterans Drive in downtown St. Thomas reopened to traffic on Saturday. Jim Tunick captured this bird’s-eye view from the third-floor conference room at the Tunick Building. (Photo by Jim Tunick)

St. Thomas motorists heading downtown on Veterans Drive discovered both east and westbound lanes open to traffic on Saturday after a paving project was completed. The work is part of Phase 2 of the Veterans Drive Improvement project.

Phase 1 was finished by the American Bridge Company in August 2020, well before its completion date of July 2021, at a cost of $45 million.

The scope of work included roadway widening, pavement reconstruction, seawall construction, drainage improvements, lighting, installation of a new expanded promenade and landscaping.

The design for Phase 2 is scheduled to be completed in 2021, with an estimated cost of $100 million.

The work for Phase 2 includes widening lanes on the waterfront from 9 feet to 11 feet; expanding the promenade, including a double alley of trees to enhance the pedestrian experience; raised speed tables for pedestrian crossings; areas for sidewalk cafes and other commercial activity; pedestrian and road lighting; a landscaped median; and improvements to the plaza area, which will include a water feature.

Upon the project’s completion, the existing roadway between the Legislature and Fort Christian will be closed to become a pedestrian walkway.

The Veterans Drive road project is the result of a multiday charrette called the Town’s Blueprint that took place in 2010.

Traffic moves along both sides of Veterans Drive on Saturday after a paving project was completed on the eastbound lanes. (Photo by Jim Tunick)
Traffic moves along both sides of Veterans Drive on Saturday after a paving project was completed on the eastbound lanes. Jim Tunick captured this view from the third-floor conference room at the Tunick Building. (Photo by Jim Tunick)
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