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17 years later forgotten Harrigan road closed with no hope of reopening!

It was around 2006 that the Harrigan Estate Road also known as 'Fort Charlotte Road' was closed denying many drivers, homeowners, and pedestrians in the area access to an easier and faster way to get home or to get to Road Town, Sea Cows Bay or McNamara, and other adjacent areas on Tortola. Photo: VINO
The road was closed after a homeowner had said a retaining wall built by the government had fallen on his building following some heavy rains in 2006 causing damages to his property next to the same roadway. Photo: VINO
The road was closed after a homeowner had said a retaining wall built by the government had fallen on his building following some heavy rains in 2006 causing damages to his property next to the same roadway. Photo: VINO
There are no plans by the Dr Wheatley Administration to even touch this issue as it has been 17 years later and the matter appears to be in the dustbins of history. Photo: VINO
There are no plans by the Dr Wheatley Administration to even touch this issue as it has been 17 years later and the matter appears to be in the dustbins of history. Photo: VINO
The Minister for Communications and Works Hon Rymer has said the issue is more than just a collapsed road and has promised to provide an update on the District 2 road. Photo: VINO/File
The Minister for Communications and Works Hon Rymer has said the issue is more than just a collapsed road and has promised to provide an update on the District 2 road. Photo: VINO/File
HARRIGAN ESTATE, Tortola, VI - It was around 2006 that the Harrigan Estate Road also known as 'Fort Charlotte Road' was closed denying many drivers, homeowners, and pedestrians in the area access to an easier and faster way to get home or to get to Road Town, Sea Cows Bay or McNamara, and other adjacent areas on Tortola.

The road was closed after a homeowner had said a retaining wall built by the government had fallen on his building following some heavy rains in 2006 causing damages to his property next to the same roadway.

After 17 years no hope!

The Government at the time claimed that his building had undermined the road causing the retaining wall to fall.  The Government of the Day in 2006 was to build two retaining walls to help with the erosion of the same road but had only completed one.  

Negotiations with the landowner have broken down and 17 years later the road remained closed.  

There are no plans by the Dr Wheatley Administration to even touch this issue as it has been 17 years later and the matter appears to be in the dustbins of history.

This Harrigan road closure dilemma has seen in office five Communications and Works Ministers (Hons Paul P. Whatley-deceased, Elmore Stoutt, Julian Fraser RA, Mark H. Vanterpool, and Hon. Kye M. Rymer)  but the matter appears not to be on any government’s agenda.

Hardship for residents in area

The matter also passed through three governments: the Virgin Islands Party, the National Democratic Party, and the Team Unity Government regime.  

The road closure continues to cause hardship to homeowners in the area and drivers hoping for a shortcut from Harrigan to McNamara or to Sea Cows Bay by the Bound Tree road.

The road closure and the retaining wall collapse have also caused the lack of income for the landowner for his building which he had to abandon and the inconvenience of persons who used to traverse the road to get home or to get to surrounding areas.

The Minister for Communications and Works Hon Rymer has said the issue is more than just a collapsed road and has promised to provide an update on the District 2 road.

Residents in the area have almost given up on advocating for governments to address this road issue.  Like in previous years, under many governments, no money has been placed in the 2024 budget to address this issue. 

See the link to the story done in 2013: https://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/en/news/7-years-later-key-harrigan-road-still-closed

19 Responses to “17 years later forgotten Harrigan road closed with no hope of reopening!”

  • Truth (13/12/2023, 14:25) Like (33) Dislike (0) Reply
    It's simple. The Virgin Islander who owns the property is a 'name' and even though this was his fault, nobody would touch it. What about the two tourists who went down the hillside on this road because of the damage done by private construction. One was crippled for life because of the accident, but it was all swept under the political carpet.
    • ? (14/12/2023, 07:27) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
      Whey doesn't the private party that caused this problem fix it? We have become such a lawless place. So you're telling me an private citizen created a problem and we are blaming the Government, realy? When are we going to start taking responsibility for the things we are doing to further deteriorate this territory.
  • Anonymous (13/12/2023, 14:30) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    Same same same on both NDP and VIP
  • Well whoop de do (13/12/2023, 14:35) Like (14) Dislike (3) Reply
    What do you guys expected? Anything better? Typical normal, third world ghetto BVI. After 17 years listen to the WHAT, WHY AND WHO BS.
  • See (13/12/2023, 14:37) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    Third World bs .
  • rattie (13/12/2023, 16:00) Like (12) Dislike (2) Reply
    Just pay Dwight, build the walls and open the damm road this is just ridiculous
    • @ rattie (13/12/2023, 19:19) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
      He is a local they will think the money too much for he
      • Sea Crabs dem be (14/12/2023, 04:02) Like (3) Dislike (0) Reply
        Once it's a local, they view it as too much money. These locals are like crabs in a barrel never wanting to see another with money that they deserve. They always downplay their own like locals are not worthy to be properly compensated, even for the greater good of everyone. Bunch of damn crabs on this island.
    • resident (13/12/2023, 22:16) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
      D carved up the road resulting in the incapacity of a tourist and millions in taxpayer funds to try and build a ridiculously large retaining wall (which collapsed). To say that D should be rewarded for illegal activity is ridiculous and disrespectful to law abiding citizens. Government should compulsory acquire his land and rebuild the access road.
  • One Set (13/12/2023, 16:05) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
    OF DAMN CUNU MUNU BUSH PEOPLE IN THIS PLACE. DONT SURPRISE ME NONE. I HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE INCIDENT THAT MESS UP THE MAN FOR LIFE. IT WAS SWEPT DEEP DEEP UNDER THE POLITICAL CARPET. GO DO YOUR RESEARCH IF YOU DONT KNOW WHO IT IS. PERHAPS THE SPEED BUMP WILL SPILL THE HOT TEA.
  • the way I see it (13/12/2023, 20:26) Like (6) Dislike (1) Reply
    These politicians going straight to hell on a ONE way ticket.
  • Spineless Minister (13/12/2023, 20:45) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Buch of clowns for Minister's, just like how they installed that bus stop bench behind of the Market Square. Whoever sat down and came up with that plan have absolutely no COMMON SENSE. LAMOS, couldn't even negotiate with the land owner to place the bus stop bench at the front where everyone is still standing and catching rides next to the street. BUNCH OF LAMO
    • cover the ghut (13/12/2023, 23:49) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      Put it next to supa valu
    • Citizen (14/12/2023, 07:22) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
      It’s madness. That bus stop will never be used at that location. When the ministry staff got a unit to stop taxis from picking up by the post office to help alleviate the traffic it actually helped. BUT, every time a taxi man got a ticket they ran to the minister and he pardon them. So the persons assigned to patrol the area stopped as it was a futile mission because of the spineless minister.
  • @Spineless Minister (13/12/2023, 22:10) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
    Who the hell pit a bus stop behind a market? No one is listening when people keep saying those canoe shoes the minister wears is stopping his ability to think.
  • BVI love (14/12/2023, 05:56) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Vino we thank you but I don’t expect anything to be done here until the right minister of works come along
  • doty estate (14/12/2023, 07:01) Like (6) Dislike (0) Reply
    Another village that has been forgotten is Doty estate road. (foot of sage mountain, turn left) School kids cannot go to school when rain falls and parents can't go to work when it's raining. The road is so bad. Am not sure whether the district rep (mitch) knows that there issues. (not checking his district).
    HON. MITCH TURNBULL AND HON KYE RYMER HELP!!!! HELP!!!!
    • @ doty estate (15/12/2023, 05:41) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
      welcome to the forgotten place of the BVI. Thanks vino for always being a voice of the voiceless
  • Real People (14/12/2023, 22:18) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    I Remember those tourists that died when they fell over onto his property in that jeep because of that road r.i.p


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