If you have driven through Christiansted, Golden Rock or Judith’s Fancy lately and spotted crews in safety vests or fresh spray paint along the shoulder, you have seen the first visible step in one of the largest rebuilds of the island’s roads and utilities in decades, St. Croix infrastructure is starting to improve.

On Friday, September 25, 2026, a public notice announced that field work is underway for the St. Croix and St. Thomas infrastructure bundles. On St. Croix, Kiewit leads the work. On St. Thomas, KHVI, a joint venture between Kiewit and Haugland VI, holds the contract. Both teams are now surveying, mapping, photographing and measuring existing conditions before construction starts.

For anyone living on St. Croix, thinking about moving here, or owning property here, this project is worth following.

Lineworker in a blue hard hat and insulated rubber sleeves working on power lines from a bucket truck, with a transformer overhead and green hillside homes and the Caribbean Sea behind him.
Haugland crews continue upgrading the territory’s power infrastructure, one pole at a time.

What the St. Croix Infrastructure Bundle Covers

The St. Croix bundle combines power, water, wastewater and roadwork into one coordinated contract. The Public Finance Authority approved Kiewit for the work in August 2025 at $682.8 million, covering north-central St. Croix.

Bundling matters for anyone who has watched a road get paved and then torn up a year later for a water line. One contractor handling the systems under the road and the road itself should cut down on repeat digging.

This work sits inside a larger FEMA-funded recovery effort. In October 2024, FEMA committed $1.75 billion to repair more than 481 miles of St. Croix roads and $1.25 billion to overhaul potable water systems in Christiansted and Frederiksted. FEMA has said road repaving will follow the utility upgrades, so the work happens in order: pipes and power first, pavement after.

On St. Thomas, the PFA approved KHVI’s St. Thomas East bundle in October 2025 at $424.5 million for water, power and wastewater. The first two phases, pre-construction and early work packages, are expected to take about 30 months.

Where Crews Are Working on St. Croix

The public notice lists these St. Croix areas for current field work:

  • Friedenthal
  • Christiansted
  • Old Hospital Grounds
  • Altona
  • Fort Louise Augusta
  • St. Peter
  • Boetzberg
  • Recovery
  • Welcome
  • Golden Rock
  • LBJ Gardens
  • Richmond
  • Orange Grove East
  • Contentment
  • Hermon Hill
  • La Grande Princesse
  • St. John
  • Judith’s Fancy

On St. Thomas, crews are working in East End, Red Hook, Bovoni, Anna’s Retreat and Sapphire.

What the Spray Paint Means

You may see temporary paint marks on or near roads, sidewalks and shoulders. Crews use them to flag spots they have measured or studied. According to the notice, “The markings do not necessarily mean construction or digging is planned for the marked location.”

If you are a buyer and see markings near a home you like, treat them as survey notes, not a construction schedule. Ask your agent to help you find out what is planned for that street.

Drivers should slow down near crews, who will be identifiable by safety vests, traffic cones, signs and flashing lights. The notice says to expect brief delays, temporary shoulder closures, parking restrictions or minor changes, with minimal overall impact.

How Sea Glass Is Supporting the Project Teams

Projects of this size bring engineers, managers and skilled crews to the islands, and every one of them needs a place to live. Sea Glass Properties has been working with both Kiewit and KHVI to help secure housing for their teams.

We see this as part of our role in the community. The faster these teams settle in, the faster they can focus on the work that improves daily life for all of us: steadier power, more reliable water and better roads.

What This Means for Homeowners, Buyers and Investors

For homeowners. Upgraded water, power and wastewater systems are the kind of improvements that make a neighborhood easier to live in. Expect some short-term disruption as work moves from surveying into construction.

For buyers and people relocating. Infrastructure is one of the first questions we hear from people considering a move to St. Croix. A coordinated, funded plan for utilities and roads is a meaningful answer. Timelines on projects like this run in years, so plan with that in mind.

For property owners with rentals. Multi-year construction programs bring professionals who need furnished and long-term housing. If you own a rental and want to understand that demand, talk with our team.

Stay Informed

The field work now underway “will help project teams better understand existing conditions and safely plan future infrastructure improvements throughout the Territory,” according to the notice. We will keep sharing updates as the projects move forward.

Read the full announcement from the St. Thomas Source.

Thinking about buying, selling or renting on St. Croix? Browse current Sea Glass listings or reach our Christiansted office at 340.715.7772.