June 2nd, 2019
According to a May 30th article in The BVI Beacon , Premier Andrew Fahie has promised to have a temporary ferry terminal erected and for the West End port on Tortola to be reopened for passenger traffic by August of this year.
The article reported that Premier Fahie “explained that he has been in discussions with the Recovery and Development Agency and the BVI Ports Authority to spend $200,000 giving the existing temporary structures an enhancement.” The article went on to state that, “These measures are set to include a trailer with restrooms, a septic treatment plant, a generator, and structures to facilitate the covering for the walkway, seating area, and area for ticketing agents, according to the premier.”
The West End port has not been operational for public traffic since the ferry terminal was destroyed by Hurricane Irma back in 2017. The BVI government had promised to reopen it at the end of 2018. In September, 2018 the BVI Government announced that a temporary West End Port Facility and Ferry Terminal would be up and ready to receive traffic from neighboring islands before Christmas, but that never materialized. Currently the Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) is developing major plans for the construction of a new, modern facility at the West End Ferry Dock, but no timeline has been given for its completion.
This announcement is great news for visitors who plan to stay in the West End of Tortola or are traveling to Jost Van Dyke and for the businesses in Soper’s Hole and the surrounding area. Visitors will once again be able to get on a ferry in St. Thomas and disembark and clear customs in the West End.
Read the full article in The BVI Beacon
Photo Credit: Clifton Skelton/BVI Platinum News