The Bushy Park development is on schedule for completion in March next year.
This assurance has come from operational manager of the Bushy Park Circuit Inc. (BPCI), Mark Hamilton, as he headed a guided media tour of the facility over the weekend.
“We are about 50 per cent overall on the development, despite losing a few days to rain recently,” he said.
“The track is four inches below final tarmac level and that in itself is 85-90 per cent complete and we are also working on the lands and surrounding spectator areas and that is about 65 per cent complete.”
Pointing out that the developers were pleased with the progress so far, Hamilton said drainage was also receiving their attention and as a consequence the facility will have many more wells than in the past, and earthen drains are being constructed which would prevent flooding of the track.
Hamilton added that the earthen drains will take the water off the spectator hill and prevent water from flowing across the track, but into a catchment area off the “kink and hammer” bend.
“We will have to see how all this will work out after it’s put in place, but careful thought has gone into it and we [want] that we have everything in place to manage water if and when it should arrive,” the operational manager noted.
He said that the development, which should be ready by the end of March next year, was being carried out with much consideration of what had existed before and although the new track would be 12 metres wide, the area known to motorsport fans as the “kink and hammer” bend, will be retained.
“The ‘kink and hammer’ bend will remain but looking at it now and as the new track is 12 metres wide, it does not look as aggressive, but that characteristic of the track will remain,” Hamilton explained.
He said the motor racing fraternity was interested in the developments and Barbadians at large, in terms of the investment, are very interested in what is going on and the developers have a commitment to get the project completed.
He said the intention is to turn the facility into a major sports tourism product.
“It will be good for racing, good for those involved, good for the island and it will help to drive the economy.”
