Saint Lucia: PM Pierre inaugurates reconstructed two-lane Piaye Bridge

Prime Minister Philip J Pierre, on Tuesday, officially opened the Piaye Bridge, which was marked by a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The bridge, which links the southern-western communities of Laborie, Choiseul and Soufriere to the town of Vieux-Fort, was destroyed for the second time by the December 2013 Christmas Eve Trough.

According to the reports, the destruction of this bridge caused significant challenges to the residents, following which PM Pierre vowed to rebuild it in a proper manner. The contract price for the reconstruction of the Piaye Bridge was $7,357,69.49, and it was set in 2016.

During the opening ceremony, PM Pierre was joined by Félix Fernández-Shaw, Director for Latin America, the Caribbean and relations with all Overseas Countries and Territories at the European Commission's DG INTPA - (Directorate-General for International Partnerships) for the ribbon cutting.

The successful completion of this project shows the PM's commitment to strengthening the national infrastructure and boosting Saint Lucia's transition towards the construction of climate-resilient infrastructure.

It is to be noted that the completion of the two-lane bridge will benefit motorists, commuters and Piaye residents, who will enjoy less travel times and enhanced productivity.

[caption id="attachment_67073" align="alignnone" width="2048"] Piaye Bridge inaugurated on Tuesday (PC - Facebook)[/caption] The newly constructed bridge is a climate resilience structure which can bear weather-related destructions and climate change in the future. According to the information, the government of Saint Lucia signed the Financing Agreement for the Saint Lucia Post Trough Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project in April 2016. During this time, PM Pierre also served as the Minister for Infrastructure.

PM's expertise led the team that negotiated and secured the agreement for the financing of the reconstruction of the Piaye Bridge as well as the rehabilitation of the Anse La Raye Venus Road for a total of EURO 5,740,000.

The funds for both projects were directed via the World Bank between the International Development Association and the Government of Saint Lucia. Also, the World Bank was an Administrator of the Saint Lucia Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project - EDF Trust Fund.

After acquiring the funds, the designs for the Piaye Bridge were finalised in 2021, with O.B. Sadoo Engineering Services beginning construction work in February 2022. The work on the development was completed in September 2023 with savings and before time.

PM Philip J Pierre extended his gratitude to the European Commission, the World Bank and the European Union for their cooperation on this significant project.