The Virgin Islands Port Authority released an announcment yesterday that they have been working diligently to repair air and seaport facilities that were damaged during Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September.
VIPA made temporary repairs allowing the authority to reopen and operate its facilities. Airport operations on both St. Thomas and St. Croix have returned to normal and airlines will soon begin to offer more flights to the territory.
Seaports are also open. There is scheduled barge and ferry service between Red Hook and Cruz Bay daily. However, there is no ferry service to St. Croix at this time. Travelers are urged to contact the ferry companies as schedules are being updated weekly.
The Port Authority is now preparing to enter construction mode and permanently repair its facilities. The Construction Manager at Risk Contractor, Lemartec, Inc., was competitively selected by VIPA’s Board of Directors to oversee the restoration of all Port properties. Phase One of the restoration schedule will focus on the three properties that received the most damage during the storms:
- The Cyril E. King Airport Terminal on St. Thomas
- Crown Bay Center on St. Thomas, and
- The Henry E. Rohlsen Airport Terminal on St. Croix
Construction at these three facilities should begin in January.
On St. John, modular buildings are on order to replace the Port Authority’s marine offices and the US Customs and Border Protection building. All foreign arriving vessels will be processed at the Edward Blyden Marine Terminal at the Charlotte Amalie Waterfront on St. Thomas until further notice.
The Virgin Islands Port Authority thanks the public for their continued patience as it restores port facilities.