While debating the National Maritime Instruction and Training Bill 2024 in the House of Assembly last week, Member of Parliament for St. Anne’s, the Hon. Adrian White drew attention to the disrepair of the bridge leading to the LJM Maritime Academy.

He said, “as a vessel owner when you pass through Arawak Port and you don’t wish to brave the swells from the deep ocean you’ll go right pass Arawak Cay and you’ll go under that bridge. And when you look under that bridge there’s rebar that’s sort of weaving down. There’s clearly chunks of concrete that have disappeared from the structure already so aside from wondering if a vessel is going to come from the western point of Arawak Cay speeding though, you have to wonder if a chunk is going to drop on your head.”

Minister of Works and Family Island Affairs and Member of Parliament South and Central Eleuthera, the Hon. Clay Sweeting responded to White’s concerns informing that the matter is being addressed. The Minister said, “I visited LJM a few years ago was quite impressed. So when they reached out for us to look we carried a full team there. We spoke about how we can not only look at demolishing the bridge but also look at ways in which we can navigate to assist them in providing a new bridge. We didn’t make any commitment to that but I did tell them that we would do our best to at least remove the bridge to help with person traveling under the bridge so that they won’t be injured and things of that sort.”

The National Maritime Instruction and Training Bill 2024 establishes a public private partnership between the government and the LJM Maritime Academy.

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