St. John residents concerned about the current state of the island's public roads have an advocate in Sen. Adlah "Foncie" Donastorg, who chairs the 23rd Legislature's Planning and Environmental Protection Committee.
Time spent recently on the island, the St. Thomas-St. John District senator said, made it obvious to him that "the vast majority of roads are in need of repair. The pothole, cracks, unpaved surfaces and overgrowth are no longer mere nuisances; they are hazards."
In a letter dated Nov. 8 to Public Works Commissioner Harold Thompson Jr., Donastorg called on that department to dispatch work crews "immediately" to undertake road repairs on St. John. He also recommend in the letter that the department work with the National Park Service and island residents "to devise a long-term plan for roadway enhancement and maintenance."
The senator said while safety concerns were uppermost in his mind, he also wanted "to note the financial cost to taxpayers" whose vehicles suffer damage as a result of the state of the roads.
