The DeCastro Street Sidewalks Improvement Project will no longer begin tomorrow, September 7, as previously announced by the Recovery and Development Agency (RDA).
The postponement follows growing public opposition to plans to remove mature trees lining DeCastro Street as part of the approximately $798,000 project.
In a public notice issued moments ago, the RDA acknowledged the concerns and continued public engagement surrounding the project. However, the agency did not announce a new starting date.
“We recognise the importance of the public’s concerns and continued engagement surrounding the project,” the RDA stated.
The agency maintained that improving the safety and accessibility of the sidewalks remains critical for elderly persons, people with limited mobility, families with strollers, wheelchair users and other pedestrians.
According to the RDA, the wider objective is to create a more pedestrian-friendly Road Town while improving the capital’s appearance and business profile.
The agency said another update will be issued after the remaining contractual and administrative requirements have been completed. It encouraged residents to continue following its official channels for the latest information.
The $798,108.74 project, financed by the Government and being undertaken by TMB Enterprises, includes the demolition and reconstruction of deteriorated sidewalks, improvements to drainage and parking areas, landscaping and the construction of six-foot-wide sidewalks that meet accessibility standards.
Public concern intensified after it was disclosed that mature mahogany, white cedar and yellow poui trees would be removed and replaced with bottlebrush and verawood bulnesia trees.
The RDA previously said the existing trees’ root systems are beneath the sidewalks and parking areas and would be damaged during demolition. It also blamed aggressive roots for lifting and fracturing sections of the pavement.
However, members of the public have questioned whether the sidewalks could be improved without destroying trees that have provided shade and helped define DeCastro Street for decades.
People’s Leadership Movement leader and former Fourth District Representative Mark Vanterpool called for the project to be paused until the Government released more information and technical evidence supporting the removal of the trees.
Vanterpool also called for consultations with residents and businesses before any irreversible work begins.
The RDA has not disclosed how many trees would be removed, the maturity of the replacements or whether an independent arborist or environmental specialist examined the existing trees.
The contract has a duration of 120 days, with the project originally expected to be completed by February 2027.
The postponement follows growing public opposition to plans to remove mature trees lining DeCastro Street as part of the approximately $798,000 project.
In a public notice issued moments ago, the RDA acknowledged the concerns and continued public engagement surrounding the project. However, the agency did not announce a new starting date.
“We recognise the importance of the public’s concerns and continued engagement surrounding the project,” the RDA stated.
The agency maintained that improving the safety and accessibility of the sidewalks remains critical for elderly persons, people with limited mobility, families with strollers, wheelchair users and other pedestrians.
According to the RDA, the wider objective is to create a more pedestrian-friendly Road Town while improving the capital’s appearance and business profile.
The agency said another update will be issued after the remaining contractual and administrative requirements have been completed. It encouraged residents to continue following its official channels for the latest information.
The $798,108.74 project, financed by the Government and being undertaken by TMB Enterprises, includes the demolition and reconstruction of deteriorated sidewalks, improvements to drainage and parking areas, landscaping and the construction of six-foot-wide sidewalks that meet accessibility standards.
Public concern intensified after it was disclosed that mature mahogany, white cedar and yellow poui trees would be removed and replaced with bottlebrush and verawood bulnesia trees.
The RDA previously said the existing trees’ root systems are beneath the sidewalks and parking areas and would be damaged during demolition. It also blamed aggressive roots for lifting and fracturing sections of the pavement.
However, members of the public have questioned whether the sidewalks could be improved without destroying trees that have provided shade and helped define DeCastro Street for decades.
People’s Leadership Movement leader and former Fourth District Representative Mark Vanterpool called for the project to be paused until the Government released more information and technical evidence supporting the removal of the trees.
Vanterpool also called for consultations with residents and businesses before any irreversible work begins.
The RDA has not disclosed how many trees would be removed, the maturity of the replacements or whether an independent arborist or environmental specialist examined the existing trees.
The contract has a duration of 120 days, with the project originally expected to be completed by February 2027.
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