Government has not decided how to spend the $11 million it will receive from the United States for Longbird Bridge as part of the Baselands deal signed in Washington on Tuesday.

Under the deal, the US has refused to pay to clean-up the pollution of its two former bases, but it will give the Island $11 million for the bridge, which has been plagued with mechanical problems.

The deal scraps the 1941 Leased Bases Agreement, removing the right of the US to re-occupy the former Naval Annexe at Southampton, now called Morgan's Point, and the former Naval Air Base at St. David's.

Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott said yesterday that Cabinet will examine a number of options, but nothing has yet been decided.

The options include continuing to maintain the troubled bridge; replacing it; spending all or some of the cash on cleaning-up the bases; or using the money for another purpose.

Mr. Scott said the cost of a new bridge could range from $15m to $30 million, and one possibility would be to have a humped structure so that there are no moving parts which could break down.

"Now that the money is on its way, it is for Cabinet to sit down and decide the best way forward," Mr. Scott told The Royal Gazette.

"We could decide to spend it on the further rehabilitation of the bridge, but some would say that would be throwing good money after bad.

"It could be the basis for the replacement of the bridge, and that is a possibility for the Cabinet. If we went for a bridge that moves in and out, swings to allow the traffic through, our engineers would caution, saying there are moving parts and the cost of maintenance of such a bridge could dramatically add to the overall cost.

"The other option would be to have the bridge arched to allow marine traffic clearance but it wouldn't have to move up and down.

"Another option would be that since the Americans have a policy of not being prepared in any way to clean-up the bases, the $11 million could be used for the remediation of the environment, and Cabinet might say that that $11 million, or $1 million or some portion might be used towards the remediation of the environment.

"Cabinet may also in its wisdom have some other option that I have not thought of."

Mr. Scott said that if the bridge was replaced, engineers would find a way to keep traffic flowing through the construction period.

And he said no decision had been taken on whether Government or the private sector would build the new bridge.