Column: OBA’s Foley On Swing Bridge & More
[Opinion column by the OBA's Maurice Foley]
The replacement of Swing Bridge is an important infrastructure project for Bermuda, particularly for those of us who live, work and travel through the East End. The existing bridge has served Bermuda for more than 60 years and has reached the end of its useful life.
The proposed replacement will provide a modern road connection between St. David’s and St. George’s for motorists, pedestrians, buses, and emergency vehicles.
It will also include an openable lifting span, restoring a function the existing Swing Bridge has been unable to provide for a number of years. These are important improvements, and this should not become a debate about whether Bermuda needs a new bridge.
But there is another question that deserves attention: have the people who will be most affected by approximately three years of construction been adequately consulted about how this project will now be carried out?
It is important to get the history right. There has been public engagement on the Swing Bridge project. Designs for the replacement Swing Bridge and Longbird Bridge were presented to the public at Penno’s Wharf in September 2018. It would therefore be inaccurate to suggest that there has never been consultation.
The concern today is different.
Eight years have passed since that public presentation, and the project has progressed significantly. Planning approval was granted in September 2025. Government issued the construction Request for Proposals in March this year, with submissions closing on September 9, 2026. Those bids are now being evaluated.
And the changes on the ground are no longer theoretical.
On September 30, Government announced that the final phase of roadworks for the Swing Bridge detour route is under way. Work has begun on the temporary mini roundabout at the existing Swing Bridge, with the new traffic arrangements expected to take effect in early October, weather permitting.
Once the longer-term detour comes into effect, St. David’s Road will be closed to public traffic from both the Swing Bridge and Marginal Wharf sides. Vehicles travelling to and from St. David’s — including cars, buses, and other vehicular activity will instead use Southside Road, Kindley Field Park and the historic Gate Number One, the former entrance associated with Kindley Field during the years of the U.S. military presence.
Government says these arrangements, including the mini-roundabout, bus turnaround and new roundabout at Waller’s Point Road, are expected to remain throughout construction of the new bridge, currently estimated at approximately three years.
Residents are already raising practical questions about how these temporary arrangements will work in everyday life. Government has confirmed that the St. David’s bus stop will move to the new turnaround inside Kindley Field Park, where a shelter is already available, with an additional canopy planned and further lighting being explored. These may seem like small details within a project of this scale, but for seniors, commuters and those who rely on public transportation, they matter. They also demonstrate why meaningful community engagement is important.
This brings us to an important question.
On March 4, 2026, Minister of Public Works and Environment Jaché Adams told the House of Assembly that preparatory works would be undertaken on the Swing Bridge detour routes. Importantly, the Minister said that before those works commenced, community consultation would take place so residents and stakeholders would be informed and afforded the opportunity to provide feedback.
That commitment matters.
Government has communicated information about the project through press releases, traffic advisories, project updates and social-media channels. The September 30 announcement says maps, traffic advisories and video updates will also be provided to help motorists prepare.
But communication and consultation are not necessarily the same thing.
Communication tells people what is happening. Meaningful consultation allows those affected to ask questions, identify problems, contribute local knowledge and, where appropriate, influence how a project is implemented.
With the detour works now reaching their final phase, residents should therefore be told what community consultation took place following the Minister’s March commitment, when it occurred, how residents were invited to participate, what concerns were raised and whether the implementation plans changed as a result.
This does not require stopping the Swing Bridge replacement, nor should consultation unnecessarily delay infrastructure Bermuda needs. There is still an opportunity to bring residents, Government and the project team together before the main bridge construction begins.
A properly advertised East End public meeting would be a constructive way forward. Government officials and the project team could present the current plans and construction timetable and answer questions about traffic flow, emergency access, buses, pedestrian safety, construction vehicles, marine access, environmental protections, working hours and access to homes and businesses.
Residents may also identify practical issues that are not obvious on an engineering drawing but become very obvious when you live in the community every day. That is one of the purposes of consultation.
The Swing Bridge will ultimately serve Bermuda for generations, while the decisions surrounding its construction will affect the East End for the next several years. We can support replacing an ageing bridge while also expecting meaningful community engagement about how such a major project is delivered.
Those positions are not contradictory.
The people of St. David’s and St. George’s should not simply be kept informed as the project moves forward. They should have a meaningful opportunity to be heard.
There is still time to make that happen.
- Maurice Foley is the co Deputy-Chair of the One Bermuda Alliance.
