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THE DAILY HERALD, Sint-Maarten Netherland Antilles
Bridge repairs resume Nov. 6 (2009)
~Road traffic not affected~By the way, last we heard, the French-side bridge is only opening at 8:15am & 5:30pm until mid-November. See post.
SIMPSON BAY--Repairs and maintenance on the Simpson Bay Bridge will resume on November 6 and continue until November 14, announced Simpson Bay Lagoon Authority Corporation (SLAC) Managing Director Russell Voges this week.
Vehicular traffic will not be affected, but maritime traffic will have to work with two opening times daily during the work period. Openings will be at 6:30am and 6:00pm for outbound and inbound vessels.
The bridge will be opened for short periods of no more than 15 minutes during the late evening hours to finalize the conservation of the underside of the deck.
For Sunday, November 8 only, the bridge will open for the three regular hours: 9:30am, 11:30am and 5:30pm for outbound and inbound maritime traffic.
From Sunday, November 15 until Monday, November 30, the bridge will open during the three regular hours.
As of Tuesday, December 1, the opening times will go from three to six per day for the high season which runs from December 2009 to May 2010.
The daily seasonal openings will be: 9:00am outbound, 9:30am inbound, 11:00am outbound, 11:30am inbound, 4:30pm outbound and 5:30pm inbound.
Contractor Hofman Sliedrecht NV will be carrying out the maintenance that entails the strengthening of two main girders and subsequent conservation of the structure; the repair of the bridge fenders, finalization of the electrical circuits and the standardizing of the traffic lights for maritime and vehicular traffic.
Motorists are advised to pay extra attention while crossing the bridge. A bucket truck will be parked on the sidewalks of the bridge deck and motorist should exercise caution when passing.
Considerable investments have been made to the bridge and everyone has a role to play in the longevity and safety of the bridge structure including those who transit in and out of the lagoon, according to SLAC.
After all repair and maintenance are completed, representatives from the Dutch Ministry of Water Management will inspect the works that have been executed and prepare a report for SLAC.
