
East Airport Road on St. Croix, USVI. Photo Credit: ERNICE GILBERT, V.I. CONSORTIUM
“It took a little while for it to get done, of course, but nothing good ever comes quickly,” said Governor Albert Bryan at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the reopening of the East Airport Road bridge on Monday.
Closed since September 5, 2023, the bridge now reconnects East Airport Road with the Melvin Evans Highway, providing a more direct route to the east end of the island for traffic from north of the bridge, including the Golden Grove Correctional Facility.
Westbound traffic from Sunny Isle will also now have convenient access to popular watering hole Tipsy Java Shack, which Governor Bryan alluded to in his remarks. “There's a lot of people going to be appreciating this bridge opening, especially the bar owner behind there, who's [been] calling me all the time,” he said.
He thanked contractor V.I. Paving and the Department of Public Works for delivering a project of superior quality. “This is a beautiful product, it looks amazing,” Governor Bryan declared.
The East Airport Bridge project, managed by the Eastern Federal Lands Division of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), was officially completed at a cost of $5.2 million.
Meanwhile, work on two other bridges on St. Croix remains ongoing.
- Midland Road Bridge: Construction crews are preparing to drive piles, the first step in building the bridge's abutments. Once the abutments and superstructure are completed, the project is expected to be finished by the end of September 2025. DPW has advised pedestrians and cyclists to avoid crossing the construction site for safety reasons.
- Route 669 (Agriculture Road) Bridge: The abutments for the temporary bridge are nearing completion, with installation expected by late February 2025. Once in place, approach ramps will be finalized, followed by safety installations before the bridge is fully opened to traffic.
These bridge projects are part of the broader St. Croix Bridge Project, which has already seen the reopening of the Altona Lagoon Bridge and the Queen Mary Highway Bridge.

The Department of Public Works expressed gratitude for the community’s patience as it continues infrastructure improvements throughout the territory.