PHILIPSBURG--Thanks to funding made available by the European Union (EU) the upgrading of Dutch Quarter will take place soon.
The preparation of the project, which includes reconstruction of A.Th. Illidge Road (Dutch Quarter main road), will take an estimated 18 months to complete and Prime Minister William Marlin says the project will start in the final quarter of 2016. The actual execution of the project, including side roads, home connections, etc., is slated to start in November.
Present for the symbolic signing were Prime Minister William Marlin; Dutch Quarter Community Council President Sidney de Weever; EU Ambassador Jernej Videtic; Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure VROMI Minister Angel Meyers; Project Supervision Contractor Ravindra Patadin; Department Head of Interior and Kingdom Relations (BAK) Marc Arnold; and New Projects Department Head Kurt Ruan.
Funding of 6.1 million euros has been made available for the project and Government is co-financing the project with 1.3 million euros allocated in the 2016 budget. The project entails upgrading of the main and side roads, improvement of the overall drainage system in Dutch Quarter, improvement of public street-lighting, construction of pedestrian pathways, expansion of the sewer network, including home connections, and the construction of a drinking-water tank.
The three sewage pumps along the road will be replaced by one large underground pumping system located just off the roundabout near Delta Petroleum gas station. This pump will move the sewage back up the hill to end up eventually at the sewage plant. Government’s plan is to construct the main road first, complete with main sewage line, then connect the side roads and homes. Residents wanted the side roads addressed first.
Ambassador Videtic said he was happy to be part of the historic signing. He said the project would benefit the community and that was what the project vision was all about.
Community Council President de Weever was happy to see the project at this stage and said he looked forward to the Dutch Quarter community moving into the 21st century. “I think that it is about time the community is looked after and our doors all always opening for any person to come so that we can keep the district informed,” he said.
Ruan said that for St. Maarten to qualify for funding they had to pinpoint socially deprived areas, meaning no provisions for sewage drainage, sidewalks, etc. “The Eastern section of Dutch Quarter, Garden of Eden and Gibbs Drive will be focused on before the other side is dealt with,” he said.
Minister Meyers thanked the EU for funding the project.
