Airstrip repairs to take a year

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

REPAIRS of the airstrip at Staniel Cay, Exuma, will take a year to complete, an official at the Ministry of Works said yesterday.

Livingston Forbes, chief architect at the Ministry of Works, told The Tribune that officials expect the Staniel Cay airstrip to be fully repaired by September, 2016. However, he said, that depends on “if everything goes to schedule”.

Mr Forbes said ministry officials have been given authority to offer the project out to tender, which should happen within the next week.

He could not say when renovations on the airport would begin, saying that information was not part of his portfolio.

The airport at Staniel Cay has been closed since April 9, when the government announced that the runway needed to be shut down for repairs.

Aviation officials said in a statement at the time that repairs to the runway would be managed by the Ministry of Works, with both groups anticipating that repairs would be completed “within the shortest possible time”.

However, residents have expressed their frustration with the situation, claiming that the closure has severely affected their economy and access to emergency care.

When questioned if he could provide an update on the government’s progress in handling the matter, Mr Forbes said: “We’ve been given authority now to tender the project. So we expect it go to tender in another week with Staniel Cay and hopefully that will be about a year’s project, a year’s construction. They should be able to occupy that facility by September next year. If everything goes as scheduled.”

Last week, a group of concerned citizens from the Staniel Cay area continued their appeal for the government to reopen the airstrip, claiming that there has been no government response to cries from the community over the abrupt devastating affect on their livelihood.

Residents also said that the route to the alternate airstrip in Black Point, a reported five-minute ferry ride from Staniel Cay, is increasingly dangerous in the winter months. Residents also said sailing in choppy seas and/or by dark of night can prove to be difficult and dangerous.

“In dangerous NW/NE winds, this is simply treacherous and often impassable,” said a statement by the concerned residents. “If it is this bad for locals in the course of regular business, imagine how horrendous it will be for visitors, or anyone facing a medical/emergency situation.”

An online petition, created at ipetitions.com on August 13, had 4,870 signatures as of last week. According to the group, a local petition was also signed by nearly 200 persons from Staniel Cay, private cays in the surrounding area and also the park warden at the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park Headquarters.

Transport and Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna Martin, meanwhile, has said the matter is being “actively addressed” under the remit of the Ministry of Works. She previously acknowledged the potential implications to the well being of residents, both economically and health-wise, but maintained that the closure was unavoidable due to safety concerns.

Comments

Economist says...

It can only take a year if the persons dealing with it are incompetent.

No airstrip takes a year to repair,

Posted 28 August 2015, 4:30 p.m. Suggest removal

DillyTree says...

In that length of time, I'd expect to see a brand new airstrip built from scratch -- not mere repairs. Wonder how much this fiasco will cost?

Posted 28 August 2015, 4:55 p.m. Suggest removal

Romrok says...

*anda i would walk 500 miles, and i would walk 500 more* one man swimming one bag of cold patch at a time from nassau to staniel will take this time.

Victimization, thats all. This is the Bahamas after all, we had a 50nyear head start with Cuba closed and decided to throw it away. I almost wish it will all crumble down just so the rest of us dumb Bahamians will realize that those hams n turkeys at Christmas were a farce.

Posted 28 August 2015, 6:07 p.m. Suggest removal

Baha10 says...

This is truly remarkable, Little Staniel Cay punches far beyond its weight in terms of tourism dollars and is indeed more popular with the "super" wealthy than George Town, the Capital of Exuma for those unfortunate Bahamians that have never visited a Family Island, and should therefore be a National Priority, indeed should already be finished by now, as the 5 months that have already elapsed since closure are more than sufficient to have completed, particularly when you bear in mind that the Ministry was aware of the issue for years, so should have commenced work the day of closure. Indeed looks like a case of either incompetence and/or victimization!

Posted 29 August 2015, 8:46 a.m. Suggest removal

TheMadHatter says...

Obviously they have an FNM member of parliament - and the PLP is simply victimizing them for that.

However, on the Govt website for "House of Assembly" I cannot find a member for Exuma.

Does anyone know who the mystery man/woman is?

[link text][1]

[1]: http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/portal/pu…

Posted 29 August 2015, 1:31 p.m. Suggest removal

Required says...

The MP for Exuma is Anthony Moss, PLP.

Posted 29 August 2015, 6:14 p.m. Suggest removal

TheMadHatter says...

Well then that would certainly explain the victimization.

Posted 30 August 2015, 10:53 a.m. Suggest removal

BMW says...

they pissed someone off in government. A year to repair, what a joke!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can be done in 2 or 3 months.

Posted 29 August 2015, 3:10 p.m. Suggest removal

TruePeople says...

If it was another cartel in exuma how long till they had planes boats and auto mobiles runnin in and out with efficiency? Oh, it's just bahamians? they gah wait

Posted 1 September 2015, 11:13 a.m. Suggest removal

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