courtesy of: The Morning News
ORANJESTAD – The Department of Public Works – DOW – announces work on the old Balashi bridge is on time without setbacks. Repairs began in August with the replacement of pipes that enable water to flow underneath the bridge.
The project was carefully planned by DOW and according to project coordinator, Jossy Kock, when completed there will be no change in the bridge structure, but islanders will see the difference in the water flow. The last maintenance work performed on those pipes was in the late 1950’s, beginning 1960.
In the beginning, the utility company experienced a little setback with the pulling of the electricity cables, but now they finished and rest of the maintenance work is going smoothly.
When DOW employees opened the middle part of the bridge, they noticed that among 12 pipes installed for the water flow, only 2 were in decent condition with the other 10 quite clogged. This caused water flow to be at a minimum level, which accounted for the foul smell and still water alongside the bridge.
According to Mr. Kock, the bridge will be ready for reopening in the second week of October. “Islanders will notice more wild- and marine life around the bridge due to the increased water flow,” he concluded.
