The Marketplace driveway went from slick to steady last week as construction crews tore up the old asphalt and replaced it with a heavy treaded concrete, at below and above.
After a week of road work and partial lane closure, the steep, slippery entrance to The Marketplace has a tire-gripping new surface.
Between rainfall and runoff, the asphalt driveway to the popular shopping and office complex was often too slick to traverse without four wheel drive. Cars were often seen reversing down the driveway when not able to make it all the way up the slippery slope.
Those worries, however, are now a thing of the past. Roadway crews got to work on Saturday, September 17, and wrapped up most of the project on Saturday, September 24. Workers were still completing a portion of the paving work last week, but the driveway was already covered with heavy treaded concrete.
While the formation of Tropical Storm Ophelia threatened to derail the work, the storm did not impact the Virgin Islands and roadwork progressed on time, explained Marketplace leasing manger Barbara Tyne.
Marketplace officials thanked customers and tenants for their patience during the roadwork, which partially closed the driveway to the complex for several days. Since the improvement, Tyne has heard positive responses from customers and has had an easier time walking up the driveway herself, she added.