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Minister Tours Abaco Projects - 15 Oct 2000 The Hon. James Knowles, Minister of Works and Transport headed a contingent from Nassau October 5 to review several Abaco ongoing projects and several projects coming on-stream. While on Abaco they viewed many projects including the larger ones of the resurfacing of the S C Bootle Highway, renovations to the public schools, the Marsh Harbour freight dock site and the Marsh Harbour airport. Minister Knowles announced that a $1.7 million contract has been signed with Bahamas Hot Mix for road resurfacing and other road work. A $20 million loan is being negotiated with the Inter American Development Bank for infra structural improvements on Abaco, Eleuthera and Cat Island. Bids will be closed October 12 for contracts to rebuild the ten Abaco docks destroyed in last year's storms. These docks are in Moore's Island, Sandy Point, Cherokee, Marsh Harbour, Murphy Town, Wood Cay, Mount Hope and Crown Haven. Announcements should be expected toward the end of October as to the winning contractor and the work schedule. Design work has begun on a new Marsh Harbour airport terminal building, control tower and the apron area for the new terminal. Contracts are expected to be solicited nest spring with visible construction beginning in June or July. The terminal is being designed to accommodate 150 persons or three 50 passenger planes per hour. It will be located between the present terminal and the Abaco Air hanger to the west. Separate contracts have been let for the land and marine design of the freight dock in Marsh Harbour. The land facility will encompass 15 acres and include separate areas for domestic and international freight. Landscaping will be undertaken at Abaco Central Primary School when it lets out next summer. The landscaping needs six weeks of quiet time to take root. Previous landscaping was not successful and the contract was terminated. The group was mutually concerned with the shortage of labour on Abaco. They are aware that construction on Abaco is booming and labour is scarce. Adding to the demand for labour is the Water and Sewerage well-field expansion now underway and the two projects now under discussion, the airport and the freight dock. Those arriving at the Treasure Cay Airport at 6:30 in the morning included Minister Knowles, Permanent Secretary Colin Higgs, Director of Works Melanie Roach, Ag. DDPW David Lockyer, CA Livingston Forbes and Sr. CE Richard Bruneau. They were joined in the afternoon by Civil Aviation persons and Architect John Darville of the Arcop Architectural firm which is designing the airport improvements. Plans were discussed in general terms on-site in the vicinity of the new control tower. |
