Road and Dam Maintenance Updates on Bonaire

Road and Dam Maintenance on Bonaire

In July 2024, the Public Entity Bonaire (OLB) provided a half-yearly update of the planned maintenance work on our road network. With the end of the year in sight, the OLB is once again providing information about the infrastructure work already carried out and planned. The available budget for 2024 has been spent in its entirety. In total, approximately $11.4 million in contracts were awarded in 2024.

Maintenance of asphalt roads

Various maintenance work has been carried out on the asphalt roads. Where possible, the most urgent holes have been filled. “Although this maintenance measure does not fully align with my vision of an effective approach, it is being applied because of the structural backlog of maintenance on the road network. This now provides relief while investments are being made in a sustainable improvement of the road network through larger projects,” said deputy Anjelica Cicilia.

Reconstruction projects

Completed reconstruction projects in 2024 include:

• Kaya Luna, Kaya Solo, Kaya Strea, Kaya Venus
• Kaya Felipe Clarinda, Kaya Haarlem, Kaya Den Haag
• Kaya Londres, Kaya Cyprus, Kaya Slovenia
• Kaya Rita
• Kaya Rubi, Kaya Amatista (in completion)
• Kaya J.E. Nicolaas

The above projects represent a total investment of approximately $5.2 million in our road network, which amounts to roughly 3.7 kilometers of renewed road network. Major projects that have been commissioned in 2024 include:

• Tanki Matrimonio: work will start on the Tanki Matrimonio district. The focus will be on the foundation and drainage of the area. Subsequently, paving will be applied in the form of bricks.
• Kaya Tre and surroundings: the drainage of the area will be addressed. The roads will then be paved with cobblestones. This specifically concerns Kaya Tre, Kaya Drum and Kaya Bongo.
• Kaya Apelsina and Kaya Papaya connect to Kaya M. Pourier: this project is already in progress. The drainage problems around these streets are being addressed. The road will also be paved, including a cobblestone pavement.
• Repair of sections of asphalt roads: there are parts of the Kaminda di Rincon that require extra maintenance. In the coming period, sections will be repaired by removing the foundation, installing new concrete curbs, including a paved verge and a new asphalt layer.
• Kaya Proud: The paving of Kaya Proud will take place through a Design & Build (D&B) contract, where the contractor is responsible for both the design an execution of the project. Since D&B tenders are a new method for R&D and contractors on Bonaire, the legal aspect is an essential part of the tender procedure. Tendering for this will take place in early 2025.

The above-mentioned activities will be resumed after the summer holidays and will be largely completed in the first quarter of 2025. With these projects, a total of approximately $3.8 million is being invested in our road network, which amounts to roughly 4.6 kilometers of renewed road network.

Maintenance work clearing and dams

During the major overdue maintenance of the dam area, a total of 20 dams on the island were tackled in the months of August and September. These were the following dam systems:

2. Dam Flor di Cuba + Yato Bako
4. Dam Buchi Morieo
6. Dam Magazina di Rei
8. Dam di Shon Aleu
10. Dam Tanki Ventura
12. Dam di Paulus (Rincon)
14. Dam di Velt Pariba (Rincon)
16. Dam di Mexico
18. Dam S.G.B. stelsel Kaya Gavilan
20. Dam di Yato Bako

For example, the Onima dam has been thoroughly tackled and work is currently underway to restore the existing natural walls so that the water can be better stored. Major maintenance has also been carried out on the vital drainage ditches on the island in connection with the 2024 rainy season. These were the following harvesting systems:

8. Roi Kaya Nikiboko Nort
9. Roi Amboina
10. Roi Kaya Korona/Hanchi Amboina
11. Roi banda di Garage Cordia
12. Roi Kaya Maria C. Hellmund
13. Roi rònt di Van den Tweel
14. Roi Kaya Industria Pariba

The drainage systems in Rincon were fully maintained in the 2nd quarter.

Drainage system maintenance

In the 3rd and 4th quarters of 2024, a lot of attention was paid to the maintenance of the drainage systems on the island. For example, urgent repairs were carried out on hydraulic structures and drainage problems were solved at various locations. The following drainage-sensitive areas that have caused complaints and reports every year during the rainy seasons have been addressed:

• Kaya International at Port Bonaire;
• Kaya Sirena/Kaya America intersection;
• Kaya Antonio Neuman intersection;
• Kaya Gobernador N. Debrot (at Bamboe Bali)
• Kaya Gobernador N. Debrot (Kaya Antonio Neuman up to and including Parke Tului);
• Kaya J.E. drainage system Nicolaas up to and including part of Kaya Princess Marie.

Drainage structures

The execution of various civil engineering works in the field of maintenance and also the reconstruction works on the road network have led to the replacement of various culverts. This is to guarantee safety, traffic flow and rainwater flow. For example, reconstruction works have been carried out on Kaya Sabana, Kaya Bonaire, Kaya Amsterdam and Kaya Maria C. Hellmund.

Pilot Project Activities

In the 2nd quarter of this year, a process was started to review and optimise the management and maintenance of green areas. In this context, a pilot project was rolled out, which was successfully completed and yielded valuable results. The results achieved form the basis for determining the new guideline for a structural approach to green management and the further tightening and strengthening of the maintenance structure. This not only guarantees continuity, but also the required quality. This trajectory marks an important step towards a sustainable and targeted  approach to green management, with a focus on future-proof and efficient solutions. We will continue with this in 2025.

Additional funds for Bonaire road network In September of this year, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations announced that the government is making €16 million available for improving Bonaire’s road network. This gives the OLB an additional financial boost to be able to structurally plan our infrastructure work for the coming years. An important ambition, for example, is to improve the connection between Rincon and Playa.

“We are currently working hard on prioritization and planning for 2025. After informing the Island Council, the OLB will share more information about what you can expect for the new year,” says deputy Anjelica Cicilia.

Finally, we kindly request everyone to take into account the work and any disruptions that may result from it. For questions or reports about the work, please contact civielewerken@bonairegov.com.