Causeway Is Now Closed As Of 10.40am Friday
[Updated: Now closed] The Causeway will close at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow [Friday, Oct 17], with the decision to close the Causeway based on the forecasted, deteriorating conditions, Premier Michael Dunkley said today [Oct 16].
Speaking at a press conference today, the Premier said: “The decision to close the Causeway is based on the forecasted, deteriorating conditions throughout Friday. In the interest of public safety I am encouraging everyone to take notice of this closure and end their Causeway-related travel well before midnight tonight.”
Police Commissioner Michael DeSilva explained in yesterday’s press conference that after the storm, the Causeway has to be examined by structural engineers to make sure that underneath the Causeway has not been damaged.
Speaking today, Commissioner DeSilva said, “Once the Causeway closes, we cannot tell you what time it will open up because it is subject to the conditions abating and then an inspection after that.
“More generally, we encourage people to stay off the roads and certainly by the time the causeway closes, our expectations would be that everyone should be indoors and certainly not traveling by the roads.”
Also, as it pertains to transportation, the last public buses will leave Somerset and St. George’s at 6pm today, while ferries will end their service at 7pm.
Barriers across the Causeway after Hurricane Igor in 2010:
The Causeway — the only land-link between the mainland and St. George’s — was opened by Governor Lefroy in 1871 and replaced the old ferry system, establishing a land route to St. George’s.
It has been damaged throughout its history by hurricanes and the tornadoes they spawn, most notably in Hurricane Fabian in 2003, where four people tragically lost their lives.
For all our coverage of Tropical Storm Fay click here, for all our coverage of Hurricane Gonzalo click here, and for our live blog covering both Gonzalo and Fay click here.
Update 5.53pm: BELCO said they will have personnel located in the East End to handle emergencies there, should the Causeway sustain damage.
Yesterday, Premier Dunkley had said, “Resources have been pre-positioned at the east end of the island, including elements of the Bermuda Regiment, the Bermuda Fire & Rescue Service, the Bermuda Police Service and staffing for the Lamb/Foggo Urgent Care Centre.”
Update Oct 17, 11.02am: The Causeway is now closed
If this storm brings Fabian strength winds the causeway will have similar damage and the bailey bridge will probably collapse. I’m very grateful I don’t live in St. Georges this time round. Keep your heads down and stay safe.
Someday we will have a causeway that is virtually all weather being at least 10′ higher than today’s bridge & allowing waves to pass right under it.
Thank you Col. Burch for setting de pace.
Man if they build a proper bridge will not have to do this.
Or you may have more people on the roads. At least if it’s closed, it will deter people from even trying to go there to take pictures and what not. A better bridge should be built at some point but it will probably still be closed during storms like this.
So you think if we built a “proper bridge” that the winds would not affect the cars/bikes driving across?
No i think if we build a proper bridge that we will not have to worry about it as much when a hurricane or storm comes cross. Having the main way on and off the island not being able to get to due to damage is a huge problem when it happens.
Plus people should not be out and about in this type of weather anyway.
And also has anyone ever thought why they dont close the Watford Bridge. At a time like this just wondering.
Shawn: If PLP hadn’t spent all our $$$$$ we might be able to afford one.
Tonight and tomorrow is not the anniversary of hurricane Fabian, but it sure feels like it, and to the families and friends who lost their loved ones the last time we had a hurricane of this magnitude, my thoughts and prayers are with you.
I have heard a lot of ministers say that time heals all wounds, and regardless of saying it or not, I don’t for one believe it because it still hurts like crazy. just the fact that we are mentioning a cause way that still has not been given the proper assessment and done away with 10 years on is pathetic. this just like the airport is a capital project that will only cost us greater the longer we avoid dealing with their replacements.
To the families, friends and loved ones tonight may be a reminder and tomorrow may be a reflection, but it only reminds us that we can make it and we will press on.
Has anyone ever thought of buildin a tunnel that actually goes under the water?? Like the lincoln tunnel
Amazingly, despite countless aerial shots, they still can’t realise that thr Causeway is NOT a bridge, but more like a DAM that you drive across.
This dam is in the middle of a HUGE body of water that is a natural “flow through between two shores.
The lowlying Causeway Dam represents an almost solid OBSTACLE to the flow of the water and current. As a result it also ends up bearing extra force from it’s own resistance to millions of cubic gallons of water per minute from the broadside and over the top.
The only real solution would be to build a span type bridge on pylons with the roadway approx 10 feet above sea level, spacing the pylons out sufficiently to allow the surging water to simply pass through underneath.
Spread out pylons will give far less surface area to build resistance and thus the pressure on the bridge by the ocean would be significantly reduced.
cubic gallons? yes, a nice big bridge should be built, but who would pay for it?
With a hurricane approaching that is stronger than Fabian, the proper thing should have been closure last night at midnight. You can’t see anything at that hour, and you know that jack-e-bo’s will be out Sightseeing instead of securing their houses, wait to see the jack’s on the Causeway Friday morning!