CAY HILL: Due to the start of the hurricane season, the tower crane for the construction of the new St. Maarten General Hospital (SMGH) has been lowered and will be fully operational again within short.
As the hurricane season has officially started and the full height of the crane is needed at a later stage, the height has been reduced by 15 meters and the jib has been shortened. In the event of a tropical storm a mobile crane will be on standby, however if the storm turns into a hurricane, the tower crane needs to be dismantled. These and other safety precautions are outlined in the hurricane plan for the construction site – a vital element for all construction projects in the hurricane belt.
St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) would like to remind the public that the crane is left in free rotation as a weather vane for safety reasons and in order to ensure its stability, it must follow the direction of the wind. The crane is only allowed to carry loads over the SMGH construction site and will never carry loads over the Welgelegen Road, G. A. Arnell Boulevard (Link 1) or over the current hospital. The crane has been assembled and commissioned safely and is in compliance with the code of practice for the safe use of cranes and all necessary insurances are in place.