Signing the contract: From left are Public Works Department's Elton Smith, FDL Consult Inc. Mr Gilbert Fontenarde, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith and Minister for Communications and Works Hon. Mark H. Vanterpool. Photo: VINO

FDL Consult Inc. Mr Gilbert Fontenarde (left) and Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith share a light moment following the signing of the contract. Photo: VINO

The signing ceremony took place at the Office of the Premier where Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, Minister of Communications and Works Hon. Mark H. Vanterpool and Department of Public Works' Elton Smith signed on behalf of Government and Mr Gilbert Fontenarde for FDL Consult Inc.

The $499,500 contract is to oversee the rehabilitation of infrastructural damages caused more than two years ago by Tropical Storm Otto.

At the signing ceremony yesterday March 15, 2013 Premier Smith said that Government will provide the much needed expertise to redesign the road infrastructure that will assist in building a better Virgin Islands which will also cater for project management services as an additional benefit for ensuring that the funds are used in the best way and for maximum results. 

“There is no expense worth the damages of a flood. And though we have not experienced it, there is no expense worth the loss of a life because of flooding," he stated at the signing ceremony. 

Hon Vanterpool said that included in the infrastructural rehabilitation works is a drainage project at Valley, Virgin Gorda among roads in Tortola, Jost Van Dyke, among others.

“The signing of this contract between government of the Virgin Isands and the FDL Consult Inc. represents the final major step before we can begin work in earnest under the Caribbean Development Bank Rehabilitation Infrastructural Project here in the Virgin Islands,” said the Works Minister; a move which will finally see the projects getting off the ground.

The Minister said that from the onset it was designed that only local contractors will be allowed to bid on the projects and if found errant during the process of the works, mechanisms will be in place to deal with it. The signing of the contract is the first phase after which will be the putting together of the final designs, then the bidding process, then construction.

It is estimated that the physical construction works will cost in the vicinity of some $12.5M with an additional sum of $5M for the Valley, Virgin Gorda project.

During the process of the consultancy, Mr Fontenarde said while his company will be working closely with the Ministry of Communications and Works, much emphasis would be placed on providing an atmosphere for the young local engineers to develop their capacities and knowledge base. He has also assured that his company will not disappoint the government nor the people of the Virgin Islands. “I am sure we will meet your expectations."

In the process of the consultancy he said that they would also be bringing to the table updated design codes, which have been changing every year to coincide with global changes.

“One of the things that I highlighted as part of the negotiations is that is that we’ll be glad to meet with the stakeholders because there are the ones who are directly affected by the project,” he noted.