The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

A Cabinet minister yesterday updated Long Island residents on multiple infrastructure investments designed to improve the island’s capital stock, economy and resilience against climate change.

Desmond Bannister, minister for works, told the Long Island Business Outlook conference that “The Bahamas’ risk resilient Integrated Coastal Zone Management programme” was now underway between the Deadman’s Cay and Mangrove Bush settlements.

He explained that the pilot test-area and project includes identifying “the key flood risk areas, and providing infrastructure for increased resilience to flooding - both from overtopping, storm surges/hurricanes and from sea level rise”.

“The overall focus on this pilot site is therefore to provide increased resilience through a thorough assessment of disaster risk management and climate change adaptation techniques,” Mr Bannister said. “There will be a core focus on providing sustainable solutions incorporating ecosystem-based adaptation methods.

“The study site is an example of an area that is very vulnerable to flooding and storm damage, and although the overall impacts from these can be managed, they will never be completely mitigated. Therefore, innovative and adaptive techniques are required alongside the more traditional hard engineering structures to provide a more sustainable and effective solution.”

Mr Bannister added that Long Island’s Newton Cay Bridge will be completed by Valentines Day 2020 , and pledged “an iconic bridge providing access to Newton’s Cay, with a concrete seawall and adjacent car parking area; reinforced concrete approach slabs to both sides of the bridge; parapets to bridge headwalls; road resurfacing in the vicinity of the site; and provision of solar street lighting to the site.

“The bridge itself is being built at a factory in Oregon, and is expected to take six to eight weeks, so the bridge should be delivered to Long Island in January 2020,” he said. “As the bridge components are all pre-fabricated, the erection of the structure happens quickly and, hopefully, we can celebrate the grand opening around Valentine’s Day of 2020.”

Mr Bannister said the contract for engineering work on the upgraded Deadman’s Cay airport had been given to a Bahamian joint venture team of Gus Ferguson, of Ferguson’s Architects, and Lambert Knowles, of Engineering & Technical Services Bahamas, for a fixed fee of $670,000.

“The scope of the design is to provide Deadman’s Cay International Airport with a new airport terminal design, redeveloped and extended runway and apron design, and a crash, fire and rescue building that can provide limited but comprehensive services to the Long Island community as well as visitors who travel to the island by air,” Mr Bannister said.

“The new design must take into consideration the needs of the operational activities of the airport and fit the local environment, space constraints and estimated budgets that will likely be invested in this project. The design will include standardised airport rescue fire fighter safety facilities.”

Mr Bannister added that while there have been some delays with the Deadman’s Cay airport project, particularly the issuing of the construction contract that had been scheduled for March 2020, he said the revised timeline would see the new facility’s design developed by March 2020 and approved by May next year.

The tender/bidding process for the construction work will take place from June to August 2020, with the contract issued by September 2020.

Mr Bannister added that the Monument Road’s “road base work is 50 percent completed, and the reinforced concrete steps are 80 percent completed. Barring any unforeseen circumstances it is anticipated that work will be completed by the end of December 2019”.

He said Long Island residents will “likely see tender documents issued to qualified contractors in January” for further road works and repairs with the aim of works starting in April next year.