PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of VROMI Christopher Emmanuel made clear on Wednesday that the people of St. Maarten will have to consider the re-routing of traffic on Beacon Hill since this plan has been on the books for years. The Minister said that government have to find a solution to the problems that exists at Beacon Hill because visitors to the island refused to take heed of the warning signs. He said just recently a visitor to the island was caught on camera pelting an aircraft with a ball that was approaching the airport runway for landing. Emmanuel said that people do things that they know are wrong just for the thrill of it. He said that while growing up he personally rode his motorcycle without helmet and did the ‘wheelie” stunt even though he knew it was wrong and the despite the warnings given to him and his friends by police.
The Minister said people would come to St. Maarten just for the ‘jet blast” and St. Maarten government has to do whatever it takes to provide the safety and security for their visitors and even protect people from themselves.
The Minister went on to explain that Beacon Hill will become a one way traffic which would allow road users to enter Beacon Hill but exit through Simpson Bay. The Minister said that the concrete dividers will have to be removed and the airport fence will be pulled back further. This he said will keep the visitors on the beach and in the event they fall they would fall on the sand and not on the concrete road. He said that those persons that are saying is only one life loss over the years, he felt that one life was too much and those persons that are making those statements would not say the same thing if it was their child that loses their life.
Emmanuel went on to explain that whenever there is a hurricane or flooding Beacon Hill road has to be closed off because of the amount of sand that would wash ashore and government have to have the sand removed with heavy equipment, he said that the bolders that are on the beach did not wash ashore instead they were taken from Marigot Waterfront and placed on the beach because the rerouting was planned years ago but no one continued with the project.
