Skelton Cline blasts gov’t over “shiggity” West End seawall project
Commentator Claude Skelton Cline has criticised the design of the new Cox Heath sea defence wall, arguing that the project obstructs scenic views and alters the character of one of Tortola’s coastal roadways.
The wall is part of the government’s wider road improvement works between West End and Road Town. The Ministry of Communications and Works has said the project is intended to strengthen coastal protection along a section of roadway that has been vulnerable to storm surge, erosion and deteriorating sea defences. Officials have also said the existing wall had collapsed in several areas and required rebuilding.
Speaking on his Honestly Speaking programme, Skelton Cline questioned the scale of the structure now under construction. He said the wall appeared much higher than the previous structure and was affecting motorists’ views while travelling through the area.
“These people have now built what looks like a five-foot deep [structure that] comes up five feet with a seawall that is now blocking the line of sight in part of the road drive to and from West End. This is some shiggity,” he said.
According to Skelton Cline, the project is changing a feature that has long contributed to the island’s appeal.
“You are messing up the character and the contours of what makes the Virgin Islands and Tortola in particular special and unique,” he stated.
He said drivers had traditionally enjoyed views of the sea along that stretch of roadway and questioned the need for the design being used.
“You drive across that little piece, losing line of sight of the ocean, of St John except to look at the mountains. Why are you all doing that?” Skelton Cline asked.
The commentator also argued that the older stone wall should have been restored rather than replaced.
“You would think that in the preservation and protection while you can still secure the seawall, protect from any surges, you would think that we would restore what has been lasting for the last 50 years,” he said.
Calling for a rethink of the project, Skelton Cline added: “Go break down that wall for God’s sake… Run that around. Don’t mess up the character and the contours of the Virgin Islands where you’re messing around down there.”
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It also appears not to have any drainage holes. Where is the rain falling on the road going to go?
UM this is not a retaining wall. The water will be channels in the fill that will be along the wall. Almost like a french drain
From the picture it does look really ugly honestly
I live in Sopers Hole, West End, this commentator is correct, the wall detracts from the beautiful view, devalues the tourism product, my first thought while driving to town, was the government was turning Tortola into a prison fortress like Alcatraz. Shame on the overseers of this project and shame on the construction manager.
Skelton-Cline talks too much and usually we should not even listen/bother to all the stupidness he talks but here he has a point, this sea defense wall does spoils the nice view we used to have!
What is more important to the west end community to see st John after a hurricane or drive safely on the road? Dam if you do dam if you don’t..it’s to protect your roadway from erosion it’s not for tourism or sightseeing…
This is 100 percent. Al’s one of the ke desig features our ancestors used was stones so that the sea defense walls were seamlessly a part of the environment and landscape. for our generation. More mone than good sense.
I agree with you, Skelton Cline, on a lot of things, but this one, I am not so sure. We continue to spend millions on maintaining the roads and then ground sea comes in, it runs right up onto the road and brings rocks with it and destroys the roads. Those walls are a sea defence tool. I am sure that they are going to lift the road a little, but it is a good idea to keep the debris especially during ground sea and storms off the road to safeguard it for a little longer. If lifted a little, we can still enjoy the scenery, so a win-win all around. Smooth roads for longer than six months and a beautiful scenic view as you traverse the area.
I totally agree that concrete wall has detracted from the beauty of the BVI. Someone in Government need to do some homework as this concrete wall is totally unnecessary.
You can break the energy of waves by creating two or three lines of rocks in the water parallel to the shoreline to break the wave action before it gets to shore. I learnt this in Physics class at about age 12!
Rocks are a much better more aesthetic sea defence.
But you all missing the point. It is to help the sea from at least bringing debris onto the roads.
It’s simply no vision and poor design. That road has been there over seventy years.
You clearly dont drive that road enough. That road has been damaged by the sea and passing hurricanes on numerous occasions. A by pass road was even made at one point because the road was basically washed away. We complain way too much. We rather a view and rebuilding that road over and over and over costing the country millions. Then we going say they aint doing nothing bout it.
Yal will make a fuss about the most superficial ISH!
are the answer. Drive the road!! The only place where it is damaged and the wall compromised is where there are insufficient rocks and boulders to break up the wave action.
@Quietly watching we don’t get no ground sea on the South.
That is one serious ditch, I fear any car that falls into that
The whole island is views from end to end up and down, yal serious fr?
So you mr Cline prefer the debris getting washed up from the sea onto the road or the wall !!!!! Make it Make sense
In any coastal engineering context, sea defence takes primacy over aesthetics. The law, the engineering standards, and the risk profile all put life, public safety, road integrity, and storm surge resilience above scenic views. Aesthetics can influence design choices, but they cannot override the functional height, depth, or mass required for a protective structure.
The height of a seawall is not guesswork or “some shiggity,” as CSC colourfully put it. Engineers calculate it based on several factors including storm surge levels, overtopping risk, road elevation and erosion rates.
If the previous wall collapsed, that is the clearest possible evidence that the old design was not adequate for today’s climate conditions.
If a wall is too low because “the view nice,” the first big swell will simply overtop it, undermine it, and destroy the road. Then the same people who complained about the height will complain that government didn’t build it strong enough.
The objective test must always come first, with the subjective test only entering after the hard facts are settled.
He purposely jumps on a topic that people will be talking about to give himself mileage, when driving around the BVI the most scenic view is that dark blue water water with the sun gleaming or that full moon on the water at night while driving to west end is very photogenic, a lot of pictures has been taken on that highway for more than half a century, how can they block it and have drivers staring at blank cement?
Okay I have a fix for that so don’t break down the wall as Claude is saying, he thinks his uncle skelly can make more money that way from supplying aggregate, and who knows he may end up getting paid on the side because him been the one to suggest breaking it down then rebuild.
What I want to recommend is that the road foundation be built up higher along that area and any further construction of the wall remains at 3ft high.
We can’t have that scenic view that mesmerize our fore parents and tourist alike taken away.
In the words of steve jobs, “you can please some of the people, some of the times”
The wall is perfect, its a defense wall, not a retaining wall. I thought of what csc pointed out concerning not being able to get a view of the sea, then i thought, most tourists are usually on safaris anyway so theyll be able to see. I know that during high tides and rough waves, i wont have to worry about my car getting soaked with salt water
Keep up the good work VIP
Sincerely,
West end resident, tht dont reeally support the VIP
One thing i learn we tola people don’t like changes,ah yo come on we complain about the road we want it fix now the government fix the main cause of it ah yo talking about beauty and nice view ah does see the kind of water does come up when a storm ah come tola?me son ah yo better stop follow cline he don’t drive that side to go at his home,Tola people hard to please them complain fo everything me son.if you want to see the water climb up on the dame wall like a cat and se down and take a peep.
CSC says “the project obstructs scenic views”. Sir, you should be focused on the road, not the scenery smh…
Was a certified ocean engineer consulted on this project or some concrete was mixed and poured. In addition to functionality, presenting an Aesthetically pleasing appearance to the maximum extent possible and practical.
In regards to the design and from a layperson’s view, at least three things things should be considered, a) proper foundation l/footing depth, b) erosion of the foundation,,c) shape. A curve wall is a better design. It dissipates the wave energy and reflects the wave back out to sea.
If a Certified Ocean Engineer had been employed he would have recommended break waters to be laid in the ocean to break the waves (ie make them smaller), and thus reduce/eliminate the damage made to the road and rock wall…..
Mother Nature always wins
Watch where you are driving Rev. Not the pretty view.
The view is still there. What the Shiggity Fraud Cline is speaking? Get out of here. Take a ride down the way and see for your dam sell out self.