Virgin Islands Public Works details bridge, ferry and road plans, cites staffing shortfalls

The Virgin Islands Department of Public Works told the Legislature's Committee on Housing, Transportation and Telecommunications on Feb. 28 that it expects multiple bridge and road projects to be completed this year and next, will begin trials of a new inter-island ferry ahead of U.S. Coast Guard inspections, and faces an operational strain after losing about 30 employees in key divisions over the past 12 months.

The department’s testimony to the committee, given by Commissioner Derek Gabriel, outlined project timelines and procurement steps for major infrastructure work across St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John, and described ongoing efforts to improve cemetery facilities. Gabriel said the department will publish a roadside contractor schedule within 30 days to increase public visibility of vegetation-control work.

"We are making significant strides in road rehabilitation, drainage improvements, bridge construction, and public transportation programs," Commissioner Derek Gabriel said in testimony. He cited recent bridge reopenings and ongoing contracts managed in coordination with federal partners.

Most important details

- Bridges and roads: The department said the permanent bridge on East Airport Road opened Feb. 3, 2025, and a temporary Route 669 bridge reopened Feb. 14, 2025. Work on other bridges (including Altona Lagoon and Queen Mary Highway) continues; one remaining bridge project is expected to finish by September 2025. A notice to proceed for Ethel McIntosh Memorial Drive (Macintosh Drive) was issued Jan. 27, 2025; that rehabilitation is expected to finish by September 2026. The Clifton Hill connector is in its final phase with paving scheduled for completion by April 2025.

- Veterans Drive and downtown drainage: Veterans Drive improvements are about 59% complete, the department said, and earlier box culvert replacements and swale repairs in Charlotte Amalie are about 55% complete. DPW officials said change orders may extend some projects to fall 2025 because of failing waste infrastructure encountered during work.

- Ferry program and transit: Commissioner Gabriel said a 300-passenger ADA-compliant ferry (identified in testimony as the "Spirit of 1733") is completed, will begin dock and sea trials ahead of U.S. Coast Guard inspections, and — barring setbacks — is scheduled to be in service by June 2025. The department plans a St. Croix–St. Thomas vehicle ferry funded with Garvey bonds; final design and cost estimates are expected within 30 days. DPW also has a procurement contract for nine medium-duty buses (28 seats, two wheelchair locations) to be manufactured and delivered within 18 months.

- Cemeteries and related facilities: DPW said the Western Cemetery No. 3 wall project is about 40% complete; the department is pushing for substantial completion of the wall segment by April and final completion by the end of summer 2025. Officials said they are pursuing additional burial space, crypts and columbariums, and will advertise availability of cemetery chapel facilities this year. Commissioner Gabriel said DPW is exploring GIS mapping of cemetery plots for posting on the department website.

- Staffing and operations: Gabriel reported the department lost roughly 30 employees in transportation, operations and engineering during the past 12 months, including mass transit operators, maintenance workers, mechanics, engineers and project managers. He said vacancies, retirement and relocation have strained operations and that human resources is conducting frequent interviews to refill positions; he also noted federal drug-and-alcohol requirements for mass-transit operators as a hiring constraint. On morale, he estimated a department-wide score near 6–7 out of 10 and described ongoing efforts to improve conditions.

- Weather impacts and maintenance needs: Heavy rainfall in 2024 — described in testimony as roughly 20 inches above the territory's typical annual average — increased road, drainage and landslide damage. DPW said it will seek legislative help to fund repairs where no federal dollars are available and expects to acquire a side-arm cutter for vegetation control on St. Croix.

Regulatory and enforcement issues

Committee members pressed DPW about contractor accountability and excavation permitting. Gabriel said GVI construction contracts include liquidated-damage clauses, but he cautioned that invoking damages requires a high burden of proof and that the department has negotiated change orders in several long-running contracts. On excavation and permitting, he recommended reviewing and revising the Virgin Islands code for excavation permits and fees and said the department is considering reinstating an enforcement arm to monitor excavation and related violations.

What was said and what comes next

Deputy Commissioner Carol Overson McGregor and Highway Program Manager Jomo McLean joined Gabriel in answering questions about paratransit scheduling, federally funded planning work, and the department's transportation master-plan update. McLean told the committee that the comprehensive transportation master-plan update is 100% federally funded. DPW said its consultant WSP will help develop a complete-streets policy required by the USVI Complete Streets Act of 2022, which the testimony identified by bill number in the record.

Commissioners and staff told the committee they would provide the committee with additional information requested during questioning, including vacancy counts and contract documents (the Department of Property and Procurement was identified as the contract custodian). DPW said it will publish the roadside contractor schedule in the next 30 days and will reissue solicitations for projects when contractors lack capacity or proposals exceed budgets.

The hearing continued with senators seeking follow-up on specific local concerns such as roadway access at Kings Hill Cemetery, the collapsed wall at Fredericksted Cemetery and the timing of parking-lot improvements near Fort Christian; DPW committed to return with more detailed funding and schedule information.

Ending

No formal committee votes were taken on Feb. 28. The department said the ferry trials and inspections are the next major milestone for inter-island service, and several road and bridge projects are scheduled to reach key completion stages this spring and summer. DPW pledged follow-up data on vacancy counts, funding sources for pending repairs, and a roadside maintenance schedule to be posted publicly within 30 days.