PHILIPSBURG--Commissioner in charge of Public Works Theo Heyliger has questioned why management of Princess Juliana International Airport can’t give back to the community it serves. The Commissioner was responding to the many complaints and calls about a deplorable stretch of road in Simpson Bay with pleas to repair it post haste.
The road is filled with huge pot holes and water is constantly settling on the road, eroding the foundation. While not shirking his responsibility to solve the problem, the Commissioner said the drainage problem on this road was created when a portion of the lagoon was filled in by PJIA. As a result, the water cannot flow into the lagoon and settles on the road. Compounding matters is the fact that this area also happens to be one of the lowest lying areas in Simpson Bay.
Heyliger said he had approached President of PJIAE Eugene Holiday on numerous occasions with the proposal to patch or pave the road, considering government’s liquidity situation. The Commissioner added that the repairs to the road could also be taken up in PJIA’s plans to expand the runway.
“He simply refused,” Heyliger said. “Why can’t the airport, sitting on US $87 million, give back to a nearby community and have a simple patch of road fixed? I have asked Mr. Holiday to consider doing so with the construction of PJIA’s roundabout as well as on other occasions, but he refused. If the Harbour can recognize its role to its community and fixes potholes and contributes to infrastructure improvements, why can’t the airport simply give back? They created the problem,” Heyliger said.
He said the little available funds are being earmarked for the major roads. “However, I will continue to work diligently on finding a solution for this road,” Heyliger concluded.
