Ferry Terminal Delay a Setback
Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer says delays to the West End Ferry Terminal redevelopment are a major setback after initial construction bids came in far above the approved budget. Officials are redesigning the project to fit within a Caribbean Development Bank loan and expect tender-ready documents within four to five months.
Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer has acknowledged that delays to the long‑awaited West End Ferry Terminal redevelopment represent a significant setback for the government, as the ministry revises designs after initial bids far exceeded the project’s budget. The redevelopment, funded through a Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) loan, was paused after the first tender returned bids of roughly $64 million from a local joint venture and about $94 million from a Canadian firm — amounts Rymer said were “way beyond the budgeted allowance” for the work.
The bids prompted officials to reassess scope and costs before returning the project to the market. Rymer told ZBVI radio that the ministry inherited the project in May 2022 with designs already completed and selected through a prior public consultation. He said the existing design was taken to tender but proved unaffordable, forcing the ministry to negotiate changes and revise the scope so the work could fit within the CDB financing. "It is a big thing, like many of the other infrastructural works that are to be done.
But we are pushing on," Rymer said, acknowledging public frustration over the prolonged timeline while stressing the need to follow CDB processes. "We had to negotiate the contract to get that done, and they came back with a design that should fit within the budget." Officials are now in active discussions with the designers.
Rymer said construction drawings and related tender documents should be ready within four to five months, at which point the ministry will re‑advertise the project for construction bids subject to CDB approval. The West End Ferry Terminal is a priority infrastructure project for the Territory because it serves as one of the principal gateways for travellers arriving from the US Virgin Islands.
The redevelopment aims to modernise passenger facilities, improve processing capacity at a busy port, and support both local commuters and tourism traffic. For residents, the delay means extended uncertainty around improved passenger services and potential economic benefits from a modernised terminal.
The ministry has signalled that tweaking the design to meet budget limits — while satisfying CDB procurement and technical requirements — remains the preferred path forward to avoid further cost overruns and to ensure the project can proceed once documents are finalised.
Primary source: BVI News