After 30 Years of Effort, Enighed Port Scheduled To Open April 10

The long-awaited Enighed Port will take away inter-island vehicular traffic from the Creek after it opens on Monday, April 10.

Once again, a date has been set for the opening of the Enighed Pond commercial port — an event more than 30 years in the making.

The V.I. Port Authority (VIPA) has faced several problems and delays that plagued the agency’s efforts to open the pond, including the recent discovery of a large rock in the channel.

The rock has been marked with a buoy and will be removed at a later date, and the dock master’s trailer is now being installed.

“They’re putting in the dock master’s trailer now,” said VIPA spokesperson Carol Henneman on Friday morning, March 24. “That’s going to allow us to open it in a timely way now.”

The commercial port, designed to accommodate the island’s increased barge traffic and to reduce some of the congestion at the VIPA bulkhead in Cruz Bay, will open on Monday, April 10. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be Friday, April 21.

The opening of the pond was previously delayed due to conflicts with Gov. Charles Turnbull’s schedule, who VIPA hopes to have present at the ceremony.

“We’re hoping that he’s going to be there,” said Henneman. “I called to verify that he’s available on that day. We’re hopeful.” Everyone at VIPA is happy the commercial port is finally scheduled to open, said Henneman.

“Everybody’s happy,” she said. “No one is happier than our chair, Mr. (Bob) O’Connor, because he lives on St. John and hears about it every day.”