January 10, 2022

WAPA Advises of Road Closures on St. John as Underground Electrical Project Progresses

The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority advises the motoring public that King Street on St. John, near the Cruz Bay ferry terminal, will be closed to vehicular traffic from January 12, 2021 – January 21, 2021. The road closure is necessary to facilitate ongoing work on an underground electrical project that extends from Frank Bay through Cruz Bay, ending at Mongoose Junction.

During this period WAPA contractor, Haugland Energy, will complete excavations and install electrical conduits. Access will be granted for car rental agencies and other businesses who must access King Street, however, traffic will be restricted to the motoring public. Motorists are asked to use alternate routes and to comply with the directions of flaggers while adhering to all directional signs.

The St. John underground project will see the replacement of overhead electrical equipment with underground service to minimize damage from windstorms and ensure a more efficient post-storm service restoration. Similar projects are also underway on St. Croix and are being finalized for St. Thomas. The projects are part of a major transformation plan the Authority has established to enhance the electric system territory-wide. The plan calls for the undergrounding of electrical equipment, installation of more resilient composite poles, the addition of renewables such as solar and wind, the development of microgrids with battery storage and the acquisition, installation and commissioning of new and more efficient generation capacity at the WAPA power plants.