Transportation into and out of Montserrat has always been very limited, especially since the start of the Soufriere Hills Volcano’s activity ten years ago. Since the closing of Bramble Airport in 1997, the only means of arriving on or departing from the island has been by helicopter or ferry. Transportation around the island is either difficult or easy depending on the area. Exclusion zones, in addition to being hazardous, are almost impossible to navigate due to pyroclastic flows. Other areas of the island have very well-maintained roads. Taxis and cars are numerous on Montserrat.
Air Transportation
Since the destruction of Bramble Airport in 1997, air transport has been the least abundant and most expensive form of transportation to the island. Currently, a handful of helicopters are flying shuttle flights between the Gerald’s Heliport and the V.C. Bird International Airport in Antigua along with sight-seeing trips around the island and aerial observation for the Montserrat Volcano Observatory. This should change in June of 2005 when the new airport currently under construction opens in Gerald’s. Service between Montserrat and Antigua has been proposed by Winair, a small airline based in St. Martin. One disadvantage of Geralds airport is that it is smaller than Bramble; the largest airplane the runway can handle is the 19-Passenger de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter, as opposed to the de Havilland DHC-8-300, which is capable of holding 50 passengers.
-
- The contracted MVO Helecopter, named “Montserrat Shuttle”, on the helipad at the MVO with the Soufriere Hills Volcano in the background
-
- A Winair Twin Otter, similar to the type that will fly into Gearalds Airport
-
- A DHC-8-300, similar to the planes that flew into Bramble Airport
-
- The old MVO support helicopter, a Aerospatiale AS-350B Ecureuil, named “Montserrat Air Support Unit” landing in the Barbados
-
- Upclose image of the helicopter’s name
Land Transportation
Due to the hilly terrain of the island, car and foot are the most common forms of transportation. Most personal cars are small and compact, either miniature SUVs or economy cars. These vehicles can handle the hairpin turns and narrow roads characteristic of Montserrat. Most of the cars and vans are imported from Japan. Larger trucks and school buses are American or British-made. On Montserrat, honking one’s car horn is a sign of greeting and warmth, as opposed to a sign of aggression and rage.
-
- The Brades Fire Station with four of the five pieces of apparatus parked out front. All of the fire trucks, with the exception of the Japanese white rescue pickup trucks, are British
-
- Cars parked in front of The Peoples Place restaurant during the lunch hour
-
- Cars parked next to the Belham River Valley. The “R” on the red licence plate stands for Rental, one of the license plate classifications on the island
-
- A Dickinson student showing her enthusiasm towards one of the few road signs we were able to find on Montserrat
Nautical Transportation
The cheapest and most common way to travel to Montserrat is the ferry from Antigua. On the Opale Express, the one way cost is about $30 US. However, the Opale Express will cease operations shortly after the new Geralds Airport opens. This will happen because for years the ferry has been operating in the red, kept alive only through the use of subsidies.
On March 18 though, a new ferry operations based out of St. Kitts was launched. The ferry travels between numerous islands including Montserrat, St. Kitts, and Antigua.
Private boats are a source of recreation and employment for the citizens of Montserrat. Private yachts were also a common way for ex-patriots to arrive into the Plymouth port before it was destroyed in 1997. The current port is in Little Bay. All imported goods to the island come in via barge into Little Bay.
-
- The Opale Express and a tug boat with a barge both docked at the jetty in Little Bay
-
- Private rowboats by Old Road Bay
-
- The defunct pier at Old Road Bay. The water here used to be deep enough for the ferry to dock, but the jetty is now inches above the ground
-
- The Opale Express docked in Little Bay
Return to Infrastructure and Transportation on Montserrat page