No More Potholes at Coral Bay Overlook

 

A popular stop en route to Coral Bay, the overlook between Bordeaux and Estate Upper Carolina provides a welcome place to safely pull off Centerline Road and snap photographs of the stunning view of Coral Bay harbor below and the British Virgin Islands dotting the horizon.

The gravel-filled area, however, had often been plagued by deep potholes and was a steep drop from the level of Centerline Road.

Thanks to Coral Bay resident Elvis Marsh — who owns the overlook property — and an anonymous donor, however, those potholes are now a thing of the past. Working with Marsh, and with funds from the donor, Coral Bay Community Council officials were able to ensure those holes were filled and also covered the area in fresh gravel.

“If you watched the repairs, you saw that traditional filling methods  for ‘dirt road potholes’ were used,” said CBCC President Sharon Coldren. “Large flat stones were brought in by Elvis Marsh with his heavy equipment and placed in the holes to fill them. 

Then, a volunteer hand-placed the stones so they are evenly wedged against each other, and will trap small stones and sediment between them, to become a stable surface again.”  

“Do this when any pothole is a mud puddle, and soon you won’t have a pothole anymore,” said Coldren.
After the stones were installed, CBCC officials, with funds from the anonymous donor, purchased a load of gravel from St. Thomas, which Marsh spread with his back hoe, explained Coldren.

“Thanks very much to Elvis Marsh, who is also the owner of the overlook property, who allows everyone to enjoy it  and was willing to contribute his own time, equipment and expertise to making it a safe and attractive place again for all the tourists and for us too,” said Coldren.

The CBCC president urged residents and visitors who use the area to drive away slowly to avoid spinning in the new gravel.

“The renewed overlook will provide a better welcome to tourists who often stop to see the community from this vantage point, as they tour the island — and enjoy it.” she said.

With the area now upgraded, CBCC officials are looking for residents to help keep the overlook looking good.

CBCC is looking for a team of two or three people — or a business — that will agree to come once a month to rake the gravel to avoid new pothole formation, pick up litter and prune the brush.

Anyone interested in keeping the overlook in its upgraded condition should call the CBCC office at 776-2099 or email coralbaycommunitycouncil@hotmail.com to volunteer.