Work on the V.I. Water and Power Authority’s Charlotte Amalie Hazard Mitigation Project, which will install underground electric lines in downtown St. Thomas, will be located in several areas during beginning Monday.
From 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Island Roads Corporation will excavate in the area of the Memorial Moravian Church on Norre Gade. Two-lane traffic will be maintained and motorists will be guided by flaggers and road signs, according to a statement from WAPA. Work will be suspended during heavy traffic periods, the utility added.
Installation of duct banks and transformer pads in the vicinity of the Alvaro DeLugo Post Office and in Hibiscus Alley will continue, with no traffic detours necessary.
Beginning Thursday night and continuing through March 17, Raadets Gade (also known as “Crazy Cow Street”) will be closed to vehicular traffic from Dronningens Gade, also known as Main Street, south to the building where Foot Locker and R&J’s Island Latte are located near the waterfront. Pedestrians will be able to walk safely in all areas to access shops and restaurants.
From 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, heavy equipment and a pre-fabricated manhole will be positioned on Raadets Gade and the construction area will be fenced to allow for foot traffic.
From 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday to Sunday, heavy equipment excavation will take place and the manhole will be installed on the manhole on Raadets Gade.
In weeks four and five:
From 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 4-17, workers will trench and instal electrical conduits on Raadets Gade. WAPA said every effort will be made to minimize inconvenience to residents, business owners and visitors during this phase of the underground project.
Updates about traffic detours or schedule changes are available online from vialert.gov, viwapa.vi, 1855VI services.com, and on the authority’s Facebook page.
The downtown project is scheduled to be finished in June. WAPA called it a critical component of its larger underground mitigation plan for the Virgin Islands. It is being paid for through $1.6 million of federal funds and requires a cost share between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and WAPA, for a total cost of $2.9 million.
