The 25-metre structure is supposed to withstand extreme adverse weather events which are expected to increase and intensify due to the onset of climate change. It is 1.61 metres higher than the previous bridge, allowing greater protection from elevated water levels.

Prime Minister Pierre, who witnessed the destruction of the bridge in 2013 following the passage of the Christmas Eve Trough, says this new bridge is a welcome mode of communication.

“I was a minister at that time. And then we came down here feeling very depressed, very sad at the loss of life and the loss of infrastructure. And at that time, it was as if it was hopeless…Dr. Kenny Antony was Prime Minister [at the time]. We spoke to our friends in the EU and hence started the rehabilitation work after [the trough],”. As Infrastructure Minister, Hon. Pierre was responsible for securing funding for the now-completed bridge and also quickly installing the temporary bailey bridge which served the community and Saint Lucia for several years.

Choiseul/Saltibus MP, Bradley Felix, says this new bridge opens the opportunity for new naming practices of public infrastructure. He says the bridge should be named after a prominent member of the community.

“We should consider naming this bridge after Mr. Clifton ‘Doudou’ Joseph. So when people pass over this bridge, they can say they're passing over the “Sweet-Sweet” Bridge,” Felix remarked at the ceremony.

This bridge was completed during the Prime Minister’s Year of Infrastructure, slated for 2024.