DPW Seeks $26M to Accelerate Roadwork and Modernize VITRAN With New Medium-Size Buses and ADA Vans
DPW is requesting $26.1 million in local funds for FY26 to advance road and infrastructure upgrades across the territory and modernize VITRAN with nine medium-duty buses and 12 ADA vans, as lawmakers push for expanded, reliable public transit service.
2025-07-17 18:41:55 - VI News Staff
To achieve its goals in FY2026, the V.I. Department of Public Works is requesting a general fund budget allocation of $23,958,321. DPW’s request includes an additional $1 million from the Tourism Advertising Revolving Fund and $1,225,000 from the Anti-Litter and Beautification Fund for a total amount of $26,183,321. It’s an increase of approximately half a million dollars over the previous year's budget.
That was the testimony of Derek Gabriel, DPW’s commissioner, when he appeared before the Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance on Wednesday. Combined with DPW’s federal funding, Mr. Gabriel expects that the $26.1 million from local sources will enable the Department to continue its push toward project completion. This, as the St. Croix district has seen a massive uptick in road rehabilitation, and smaller-scale projects are being completed in the St. Thomas/St. John district. According to Mr. Gabriel, between fiscal years 2021 and 2024, the “territorial spend on road maintenance…totals $108,592,180.11.”
Other promised infrastructural projects are also moving through the pipeline. DPW is currently managing 186 projects, 67 of which “belong” to the department, while the remaining 119 are user agency projects. The work underway includes drainage work along First Avenue and in downtown Charlotte Amalie, Fort Christian parking lot renovations, repairs to Center Line Road on St. John, the rehabilitation of restrooms in Cruz Bay, and restoring lights along the Melvin Evans Highway.
Road rehabilitation in the St. Thomas/St. John District pales in comparison to St. Croix, something that both Mr. Gabriel and several lawmakers pointed out. On St. Thomas, “Port Authority actually is doing repairs at the runway, and that really takes precedent over our projects because that has to be done in a certain time frame,” explained Mr. Gabriel. That’s because the contractor for the airport work is assigned to several road projects. “They should have been completed by now, but our goal is to get them done before the end of September,” he promised. That includes roads in the Bovoni area. “Our goal is to really have significant spend in this district. St. Croix saw a lot of it. So St. Thomas and St. John is our focus.”