Chinese-built Yorke Valley Bridge near end

It's like a bridge over troubled waters.

Broken and swept away in 2011 when the Miracle Lake (also known as the Matthieu Dam) exploded and tons of water swept downstream, the Yorke Valley Bridge is apparently rebuilt much stronger than before.

Last week when the Cabinet visited the almost-completed structure, Deputy Prime Minister Reginald Austrie said the EC$11 million Yorke Valley Bridge in Layou has already been tried and tested.

"It withstood Hurricane Maria and so it has demonstrated its resilience and it is not even completed yet," Austrie said. "One can say this is one major piece of infrastructure that has been tested."

The Yorke Valley Bridge, a gift from the People's Republic of China, began in October 2016 when the government and the Chinese Embassy broke ground during a small ceremony.

"This, no doubt is an important piece of infrastructure that will enhance opportunities in farming and tourism for the residents of Layou, Layou Valley and Layou Park," said Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit at the ceremony. "This is a commitment that the Government gave to you and we are grateful to the Government of the People's Republic of China for coming to our assistance, yet again, in the form of a grant to construct this important infrastructure."

Kelver Darroux, the Parliamentary Representative for the St. Joseph constituency said then that "the bridge is the stepping stone to having this entire Layou Valley transformed and taken to a new height."

At last week's visit Austrie said the completion of yet another China-donated project "is a demonstration of friendship" between his government and the Chinese.

"Very shortly the bridge will be handed over to the people and the Government of Dominica," he said. "Our local engineers say the bridge has been built to specifications."

That view was supported by Chinese Ambassador to Dominica His Excellency Lu Kun who said the bridge was constructed by Chinese firm, China Railways Cooperative a company that "is very, very high quality and very, very powerful".

"I hope it will be important to the transportation between the east and the west in (Dominica) and also beneficial to the farmers," he said.