TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Billy Folly Road flooded again

https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/62269-flooded-billy-folly-road
You would think this would be an easy fix but has been going on for years.

I love the way they phrase things......"....this has been a major irritant to the many tourists who have to walk there blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!"

Uh! What about the residents who live and do business in the area and have to deal with this every time there's a major rainstorm?! If I was a resident, regardless of the import of the tourist dollar - I'd be thoroughly pi$$ed at that mindset. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

I think the picture was from a prior flooding event if I recall what the article said but it is an ongoing problem. There are hundreds of local that work in the various resorts in that area and buses/taxis that haul them. Really sad as they deal with this all the time, unlike we tourists who are there for a short period of time.

It was very bad several times while we were there. Whatever work they did there last year did no good at all.

I'm surprised that the Atrium, Simpson Bay Resort, Flamingo and La Vista along with the residences in Pelican Key put up with this. I would think they would, if nothing else, get together and put a fix on it even if they have to pay for it. The Atrium especially as their first floor parking lot is flooded quite often.

I remember one Nov. the water from the rains coming from down the hill across BBB ( also seen a few boulders washed down that road). I was walking thru 6 inches of water at BBB. It was crazy walking thru this much water so close to the beach.

Wendell

I'm not sure what can be done. It's a low spot and there's nowhere for the water to go.

A deep trench across the road covered with drain grates with that sloped trench leading to the ocean could easily solve it.

I don't know, I'm not an engineer at all, but you would think they could build something to take the water out to the ocean, since it is so close.

They could even have a pump system to pump it out to the ocean. Or even to the lagoon, if that is shorter, which is the same level as the ocean. If they can build the Causeway bridge I would think this would be relatively easy.

That does make sense, and sounds so simple that one wonders why they didn't do that last year when they tore the road up to supposedly correct the problem. With all the buildings in that area perhaps there are underground utilities between the road and the ocean which don't allow that trench to be dug?

The road is apparently at sea level but pumps sound like a good idea. Are there any engineers on the island?

The road by Taco Macho was flooded our entire vacation. This is the road we had to travel daily from/to Beachside Villas in Beacon Hill. The flooded road was so deep that you had to hug the shoulder closest to the restaurant which created back ups in and out because only one car could pass at a time.

The road through the golf course pass Mullet was also deeply flooded for several days. I'm sure this problem is not unique to just the areas mentioned.

We rented a RAV for 19 of our trips. Te car sat higher up off the ground so flooded roads weren't much of an issue. With a car rental it's more of a challenge navigating those "lakes." Luckily we didn't stall but driving through those flooded roads was not pleasant. Nothing we could do about it so we trucked along.

Just my 2 cents.

Looks like there are other flooding issues that need to be addressed too.
https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/62...istmas-shoppers