Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit has announced that his government has devoted significant resources to the development of emergency bridges on the western and eastern Coast of Dominica.
Skerrit, who addressed the nation on Monday night, said during the passage of Tropical Storm Erika the country’s infrastructure was severely damaged
In fact, he said, the storm has caused almost $1-billion in damages to Dominica.
“Government continues to open up critical lines of communication and has devoted significant resources to the west and east roads. In support of these efforts we shall take delivery of some emergency bridges this week and immediately start to install these along the west coast, at Pointe Round, Batalie River and Macoucherie River,” he stated.
These bridges, he noted, “will provide safe crossing in the event those river levels rise.”
Skerrit revealed that concurrently bridge equipment will be deployed to the Gorge at Boetica, “to allow us to open up the road to reach the community of Delices.”
“Thereafter we shall provide a safe crossing at the White River then open road access to Petite Savanne,” he explained.
He mentioned also that road access to the south east is critical to stranded communities and this objective is a top priority for the government.
Skerrit said work on temporary bridges shall commence today (Tuesday) and workers will work extended hours until all these structures are in place.
Meantime he pointed out that while developing these temporary bridges, the government is also making advances in developing permanent replacement bridges.
“These new bridges shall be designed to ensure that they do not cause pinch points for river flows or are susceptible to repeat events,” he stated. “Government with the support of its development partners intends to move very quickly on the permanent rebuilding of the roads and bridges on the east and west coast, and will take decisive action on the short term to make sure that work commences as soon as possible and on an accelerated basis. Such reconstruction efforts shall also address obvious or vulnerabilities on the main highways and eliminate potential fatal flaws.”
Skerrit said his government also intends to install bridges in the Roseau Valley near the Trafalgar Falls to Wotten Waven and in Emshall.
“We have also embarked on a design of critical river training operations, to clean river channels and where possible prevent bridges to river banks,” he noted.
please pm dont use what have happen to dominica on political platform in next election ok
The PM has yet to mention any update regarding the possibility of exploring the use of Bailey Bridges. Some friendly GOVT. in the region actually suggested on a political flatform that at least 5 bridges could be given to DA, any update on that. How can we devote significant amount of resources (in a time like now) in BUILDING bridges when there is the option of BAILEY BRIDGES. lets be critical …… eventually after the pass of the storm some serious political questions will have to be asked POST ERIKA!!!!!!
baley bridges are currently obsolete as they are a world war 2 design they have been superceeded by the logistic support bridge a light yet extremely strong bridge of similar design to the bailey . as a former member of the royal engineers the last bailey bridge built was done in iraq over a canal behnd basrah airport ( we built it simply to get rid of the bridge cause its out dated) the grandbay bridge the white river bridge are bailey class bridges and they have been obsolete for years yet were never replaced soplease dont accept any more bailey bridges surgest they use the mabey johnson logistic suport bridge as they are easy to build EXTREMELY STRONG AND SUPERBLY ADAPTABLE
Bailey Bridges. Erected in a couple of hours, Last 50/60/70 years.
call the royal engineers in the british army they build bridges while being shot at in the heart of combat i was part of the royal engineers for over 9 years and i know what they are capable of they will gladly design and build permanent bridges in dominica at no cost to the government cause it can be classed asa training exercise . i have build up to100m bridges with them and it ususlly takes a day sometimes 2 for a 20 man team to construct a bridge by hand half that time if they use heavy equipment and those bridges are designed to hold upwards of 100 tons . contact the british gvernment dominica is a COMMONWEALTH country so all that expertise is there for the government to make use of
This is so true.
Thanks again P.M, yes you are a true leader with visions. You are human, therefore, mistakes will be made, but you have clearly demonstrated your wisdom and capabilities.
One thing I know for sure you will cripple my fingers, as you did during the elections. My stomach is overloaded with your cash but I am unable to regurgitate.
The PM, his ministers and others involved in rebuilding Dominica have a lot of work ahead for them. It is even more than we who comment on this Website could ever fathom.
I view it as one big headache and anxiety to plan and ensure everything is performed just right for all nationals especially those who are affected and stranded, who are not able to be mobile due to lack of good roads and bridges.
Those who are looking-in from the outside and are not involved in this rebuilding, as the critics, they must exercise patience and understanding.
Those who are unemployed and able should offer your services to help rebuild your country. You may also get paid. God will bless you for that.
This is the Pointe-Rounde bridge, not Picard
MR. PM. Will they take as long as the tablets??
Shame on you! Based under the circumstances, you have no heart. This is all the response you will get.
Yes of course, you and your PM would like that subject forgotten. All the lies are slowly catching up with him.
Just asking where is the Minister for Communications and Works? Shouldn’t it be he reporting on the issue of roads bridges etc. Someone please educate me if my thinking is wrong. Thanks.
What difference it makes? What is your problem? For God’s sake, he is the PM!
Did you thank God for sparing your life?
I am of the belief that you do not like the prime minister being too involved in the reconstruction process : he is doing too much of a great job. If he wad not too involved, people like you would be complaining.
bridges are to be aprox 6feet above road level for us to avoid a repeat.
How high were the Roseau bridges which were built in former years? They were there for years. They were never washed away when the river overflowed.
You are so correct. Bridges should NOT be built at the same level of the road.
height of the bridge will not help its the abbutments of the bridge is what counts
Live usually throw us a curve, but ultimately it presents us with opportunities to go back to the drawing board and do things differently. we not alone, in such situation, but, we must take full at vantage of this unfortunate situation, while the eyes of the world is on us,and continue to build long after the cameras leave. We shall rise again. Keep the faith and be positive, there much work to be done.
A Cable-Stay Suspension bridge is much more adequate for some of these crossings, given our high annual rainfall on the island. Although the level of destruction to our infrastructure is devastating, it’s also an opportunity to improve upon what we have. Our local engineers need to be a critical component of the rebuilding effort.
wow someone knows absolutely nothing about bridge building but saw somethign on youtube and decide to pretend he knows what he is talkignabout
Well one of my criticisms of Dominica’s infrastructure has always been the bridges. I have always felt that this would happen one day because every last one of our bridges have been constructed too low and with their foundations too close to the rivers which they are passing over. I am no engineer, but I am a physical planner and in my humble opinion it appears that these bridges need to be built higher, then arc down on either side onto foundations which are at a considerable greater distance away from the rivers than they are now. This does not mean that the bridges would be 100% safe from an Act of God, however it certainly would taking a lot more doing from the river to achieve this level of destruction. Such bridges are expensive to construct but will work out cheaper in the long run, particularly in light of the fact that the frequency of extreme weather events is increasing exponentially as climate change is being experienced globally