As published by Cayman Compass
Camana Way opposite Camana Bay has been dug up and closed as part of the ongoing project. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY
Construction of the long-planned vehicular underpass on the Esterley Tibbetts Highway at Camana Bay could start as early as next month, according to a Dart spokeswoman.
Work on the $40 million roadwork project – moving and expanding the thoroughfare – coupled with simultaneous site preparation for the larger $300 million Camana Bay expansion, began Aug. 3, rapidly moving into high gear.
The closure of Camana Way – the short spur linking the highway with West Bay Road – has been preliminary to the excavation of 25 acres of vacant ground west of the Town Centre. Workers will spend some weeks “to prepare the site for the widened and realigned Esterley Tibbetts Highway through Camana Bay, and proceeding with utilities infrastructure work,” according to the spokeswoman.
The early-stage infrastructure work, she explained, entails creating trenches to accommodate pipes large enough to carry a variety of wiring, drainage and other utilities, sufficient to serve the massive westward expansion of the community in the next several years, on an elevated platform for residential and commercial blocks and a beachfront hotel.
Building the underpass, she said, follows “the National Road Authority’s evaluation of a third-party review of the technical specifications and a building permit being issued by the Central Planning Authority.”
Ultimately, the new “dual two” four-lane highway will link the Camana Bay and Galleria roundabouts.
Meanwhile, pedestrian and cyclist access between West Bay Road and Town Centre will continue parallel to Camana Way on marked footpaths.