Motorists who don’t need to be there are advised to avoid Simpson Bay especially during the morning hours over the next few days. Due to the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta there will be four bridge openings (see related story) half an hour apart between 8:00am and 9:30am, followed by two every hour until 11:30am and four more from 2:00pm to 5:00pm.
This is a relatively small price to pay for hosting such an important event in terms of economic impact and promotion. In many ways it indeed takes practically the entire community to do so successfully each year.
Thankfully, the causeway provides an alternative route nowadays, although Cole Bay will also get busy during the evening when – the now free – concerts in the Regatta Village at Port de Plaisance take place. Police announced special traffic measures for that area in Wednesday’s newspaper as well.
They will no doubt try their best to limit the related congestion, but drivers may just have to exercise even a bit more patience than usual. Those able to avoid such altogether, however, would do well to make use of that option.
Let’s all be happy with so many visitors and the positive publicity related to this four-day sailing extravaganza. “The Friendly Island” is proud to be its home.
