By Mercy Tangredi, 3rd Grade Reporter
On October 19, one of the most difficult of recent road repairs in Coronado
Cays was finished. Unlike most resurfacings, St. Christopher’s Lane in Port
Royale Village had to be completely removed and replaced. Similar repairs were
done at Aruba Bend and in Kingston Court.
“The water table under the Cays is really affected by the tides,” said a
supervisor. “The foundation of St. Christopher’s Lane was damaged. We had to
remove it and dig down 13 inches.”
Jackhammers, asphalt grinders, loaders and dump trucks that can carry
heavy loads were used to remove the original road surface. Skip loaders and
backhoes were used to scrape clay-like material. A mechanized scraper was
used to smooth the dirt.
But during this 3-week process, a dump truck got stuck in mud and had to
be dug out and towed. Some workers got frustrated.
The residents were not allowed to park their cars on St. Christopher’s
Lane and it was very difficult to get to their driveways. Most residents parked
their cars on the other streets behind their houses.
Heavy dirt, clay and gravel were put down to form the road foundation
and tamped down with a roller. Finally, after changing from a mud road to a dirt
road to a gravel road, the asphalt of St. Christopher’s Lane was replaced and
smoothed by a huge asphalt smoother and two small rollers that went up and
down the street many times. Asphalt was later placed around man-hole covers.
When asked a last question, one of the workers said that he likes his job
because, “I get paid well and I like to help people out by making sure their roads
are safe.”
St. Christopher’s Lane now seems safe. But I did not get a chance to
mark my initials in the road.
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