Cemetery Road in Pembroke will be closed from January 4, 1999, through to December 31, 1999.

Belco applied to the Ministry of Works and Engineering for permission to close the road in order to ensure public safety during its major generation expansion project at its Serpentine Road plant, said the company's communications manager Robin McPhee.

Access to businesses located on Cemetery Road including Rite-Way Builders Supply Ltd., Animal & Garden House, Central Filing and Treecon Ltd. will continue to be available.

When the move was originally announced it provoked the ire of Rite-Way Builders' Supply/Animal & Garden House owner Abel Cabral who feared his companies would lose business.

He slammed the Works Ministry for allowing the road to be closed without consulting with the businesses which would be affected.

The project involves the construction of two brand new 14.5 megawatt engines and chimney which will be erected on the site of Belco's east power station, said Ms McPhee.

While the work will improve Belco's ability to meet the Island's electricity demand into the next century, it also means that work will be ongoing throughout 1999, causing some inconvenience to the surrounding neighbourhood.

In addition to on-going construction, the project will involve the movement of a significant amount of heavy equipment on either side of the Cemetery Road boundary.

In order to reduce the inconvenience to Belco customers and to the businesses located on the road, the company has launched a comprehensive advertising schedule to inform the public of the closure, its duration and to provide alternative access routes, added Ms McPhee.

Signposts are up at each end of the road to inform the public that it is closed but business access is still available.

Ms McPhee apologised for the road closure on behalf of Belco and thanked the public for its patience and cooperation.

TRAFFIC TFC