WHEN BARBADIANS FLOCK to Folkestone Park in St James today for picnics and swimming, they will be in for a surprise. So too will be those who go to simply relax or bathe along the stretch of beach from Holetown to Porters.
They will see an impressive concrete walkway going from the Coral Reef Club hotel to the area south of Folkestone, as well as the development of new beaches and easier access, all as part of the Holetown waterfront project.
Dr Lorna Inniss, acting director the Coastal Zone Management Unit, said the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-financed project aimed at stabilizing the shoreline, still had “a few bits and pieces” unfinished but it had effectively been completed within time and budget.
The finishing touches will include resolving the Holetown Pond fluidizer and a long snag list.
Inniss said the department which was the executing agency had been required to complete the project by November 30 because of the tourism season and needed to avoid any disruption and having heavy-duty equipment on the beaches. The project started last April.
“We gave that assurance . . . . It was not easy to stick to the deadlines since it can be extremely challenging. I think we have done marvellously well given the circumstances,” she added.
The main contractor was C.O. Williams Construction, which worked along with the coastal engineering firm of Baird and Associates, and even though her department had not consulted all the property owners in the area, Inniss was certain that the 1.5 kilometres of work would be to their satisfaction.
Managing director of Corel Reef Club, Patrick O’Hara, lauded the project, noting that there had been very positive comments from the guests.
Inniss said the coastal risk assessment and management programme was part of a US$42 million five-year IDB project to address coastal erosion related to climate change as well as that caused by previous development in the area.
The major work ahead will be the fluidization to improve “the hole” at Holetown from an engineering perspective, where they will be aiming to maintain optimal levels so as not to have too much of the water being discharged into the sea on a consistent basis, while at the same time keeping down the odour.