RDA completes new Marine Base in Road Town

The Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) has successfully built the Virgin Islands Law Enforcement marine base in Road Reef, Tortola.

The marine base — funded by the BVI government and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office — is the RDA’s 43rd successful project since it was founded in 2018.

Construction started in February 2023 and the RDA said its completion marks another milestone in the agency’s commitment to development through infrastructure investment.

The marine base was built to promote safety and security and improve communication between law enforcement agencies of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, Customs and the Immigration Department.

“It will make use of a designed joint command and operations centre and will enable effective monitoring of marine ports of entry while facilitating stronger partnerships and information sharing between law enforcement agencies. This is envisioned to create a safer, more secure, and more efficient border environment in the Virgin Islands,” a release from the RDA said.

Chief Executive Officer at the RDA Anthony McMaster said, “I am immensely proud of our team’s hard work, expertise, and unwavering dedication that have led to successful completion of the Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Marine Base.”

He said the project exemplifies the RDA’s commitment to delivering exceptional results while upholding the highest standards of integrity, safety, and environmental responsibility.

The RDA said they will be handing over the facility to the government soon. When the RDA was formed to rebuild critical infrastructure after the 2017 hurricanes, the aim was to dissolve it after all its assigned projects were delivered.

But due to the agency’s success, the government passed legislation to extend the life of the RDA to December 2026.

There have also been calls from elected leaders for RDA to take over problematic services like water distribution that the government has issues delivering successfully.