With the roar of highway traffic and heavy equipment providing the audio backdrop, Sen. Carlton "Ital" Dowe gave a tour of the site of the long-awaited Leonardo "Nardo" Trotman Drive that – once finished – is expected to ease traffic congestion into Fort Myler and Tutu.
Dusty, but clearly resembling a roadway, the route climbs from the north side of the Weymouth Rhymer highway across from the Edith Williams Elementary School, then curves east to run parallel to the heavily traveled main road.
The original plan called for Trotman Drive to continue all the way to the Alvin McBean ball park in Tutu, but Dowe said there were "issues" with that plan which were being address by Public Works.
Dowe, who chairs the Committee on Appropriations and Budget in the 28th Legislature, first introduced the bill to build the two-lane road during his stint in the 25th Legislature.
"It’s been a long time coming," he said Thursday morning, not without a hint of glee in his voice.
With Public Works Commissioner Darryl Smalls in attendance, the small gathering made the road, which will lead to the even more long-awaited St. Thomas Regional Library and Records Center, a virtual reality.
Both the road and the acreage upon which the library will sit were donated to the V.I. government by the Harthman family.
Lee Harthman was on hand at the informal gathering to offer his congratulations, while echoing Dowe’s sentiments about how long the road leading up to Thursday’s gathering had been.
The transfer of the 3.5 acres of land to the V.I. government for the construction of the road took place in January 2005.
Part of the agreement between the Harthmans and the government was that construction begin within five years.
Smalls said the site preparation work, which is being done by Grade-All Heavy Equipment, is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
The road should be finished in 2010, which is also the estimate for the library.
