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Sandy Ground bridge closed to road traffic in June 2022 for final repair works
The Collectivité scheduled the last phase of repairs to the Sandy Ground swing bridge for 23 June to 2 July 2022, closing it to cars for a weekend and suspending boat crossings during the works.
By SXM Daily ·
Reported 20 June 2022.
The Collectivité de Saint-Martin scheduled the final phase of repairs to the Sandy Ground bridge for 23 June to 2 July 2022, SXM Breaking News and Karibinfo reported. The swing bridge links Marigot and Sandy Ground and is the French side's entrance from the sea into Simpson Bay Lagoon.
Illustrative: Simpson Bay Lagoon from above. Photo: SV Zanshin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
According to both outlets, the bridge had already been fully rehabilitated in 2021 at a total cost of €1.4 million. One more intervention was needed to get it working properly, and the contractor was due on site from 23 June.
What changed for drivers and boats
The bridge was closed to road traffic from Friday 24 June at 6:30 PM until Monday 27 June at 5 AM. Pedestrians and two-wheelers could still cross on a lane on the sea side.
For boats, the last bridge opening before the works was set for Wednesday 22 June at 5 PM, and the next one for Sunday 3 July at 8:30 AM, depending on progress. Boats were not allowed through during the works, although dinghies could still pass under the span on the Marigot side. Emergency services were to be positioned nearby while the bridge was closed.
Later
Le Pélican later reported, citing a Collectivité Facebook post, that the bridge had resumed its daily openings for sea traffic after a separate round of repairs. For a guide to the lagoon the bridge serves, see Simpson Bay Lagoon and Mullet Pond.