$150K contract inked for repairs to The Baths

The Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) has signed a contract valued $150,000 to a local construction company for repair works to The Baths National Park on Virgin Gorda.

The contract was awarded to Maynard’s Construction and has a duration of six weeks.

“The site is actually very spread out, so the contractor has really thought this whole process through very well. There is a shaded area that needs to be reinstated down on the beach by the bar and then there are some works to be done on the toilets down on the beach where the septic system has not been working, so he’s going to be fixing that … There are also going to be temporary toilets in place while he is working on that,” Project Manager at the RDA Alexandra Lennard explained at the contract-signing on Monday, July 22.

She continued: “Coming up into the main area where you have the toilets at the top of the Baths and the parking lot, that roof is going to be repaired and fixed along with the ticket booth and the roofs of the waiting area.”

Lennard also said that a shaded rest stop will be installed on the path to Devil’s Bay trail.

“That’s quite a long route there so people will have a chance to stop and take in the views as they are looking out across the waters.”

The project manager also revealed that Maynard’s Construction was selected over the other five companies in the tender process because of their vision and proposed plans on executing the job.

“Maynard’s Construction came forward with a good document, it demonstrated that he had thought the process through properly and taken into consideration and we were very positive of how he would be able to execute the works.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Natural Resources and Labour Vincent Wheatley said the project will go a long way to improving visitor-experience at The Baths.

“A day like today when you can’t swim because of jellyfish and you’re forced to stay on land, there are things now that you can do on land. These will now include the ability to wander around on trails and viewing the trees and plants and so forth and you can rest and do things on the way” said Wheatley who is also the District Representative of Virgin Gorda.

Meanwhile, Junior Minister of Tourism Shereen Flax-Charles shared similar sentiments to Wheatley and added that the project is one that is of great importance to tourism in the BVI.

“The Baths, I would say, is the premier tourist attraction in the British Virgin Islands and the Caribbean and it’s important that we develop it and improve it so that we can give our visitors a quality experience when they come to The Baths,” she said.