By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

WORK on a 200-foot-long temporary causeway to replace the deteriorating Taino Beach Bridge is moving ahead and is expected to be completed by mid-December, according to Lucaya Service Company (LUSCO).

The structure will allow demolition and full reconstruction of the bridge — the first since Freeport was founded more than 60 years ago.

Cory Cartwright, System Maintenance Manager at LUSCO, said the causeway should be completed by December 15. “In October, we signed a contract with Bahamas Hot Mix (BHM) to build a temporary causeway,” he said.

“They have 49 days to complete it. We’re looking somewhere around December 15 to be completed with the installation of the causeway.”

The bridge, which connects the Taino Beach and Smith’s Point area to the rest of Freeport, has been under a ten-ton weight limit for months, preventing fire trucks, tractors, and other heavy vehicles from crossing. The restriction has disrupted essential services such as garbage collection and road maintenance, and raised safety concerns among residents and businesses.

LUSCO, a subsidiary of the Grand Bahama Development Company (DEVCO), and Tamarind Development are partnering on the project. Mr Cartwright said the temporary causeway will ensure “normal life” continues on the southern side during reconstruction.

“Once that is done, we will then begin the necessary contracts with the service providers, such as water, power, telephone and cable, to have their services relocated so we can demolish the bridge and reconstruct,” he said, adding that the new bridge will take a year to complete.

The temporary road will span about 200 feet, feature a 40-foot-wide carriageway, two ten-foot pedestrian paths, asphalt surfacing, and lighting for night-time visibility.

A previous report revealed that the bridge’s poor condition had threatened a resort sale worth about US$18 million, as investors considered the lone access route “dilapidated and dangerous.”

East Grand Bahama MP Kwasi Thompson and Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell have both criticised delays in replacing the structure.

In a letter to residents and businesses, LUSCO said traffic will be redirected via Alan Circle and Tennents Road once the causeway opens. The ten-ton weight restriction will remain until the new route can handle heavier vehicles.

Mr Cartwright said residents have largely welcomed the project. “The residents are happy at this time — the ones that have spoken with us because their lives were being interrupted,” he said. “While we have not spoken with everybody, we have been in communication with the chief councillor for the area, Valerie Lightbourne Edden, and she is pleased to know that we are moving forward to get some relief to the area.”

The bridge serves as the only land route to Smith’s Point, home to the weekly Fish Fry and several resorts, restaurants, and attractions. LUSCO and Tamarind Development said the causeway will restore safe access for light and heavy vehicles, supporting local commerce and tourism while long-awaited reconstruction gets underway.