The Gordon A. Finch Molasses Pier,

The Gordon A. Finch Molasses Pier, located in Krause Lagoon, sits on an eight-acre site on the south shore of St. Croix. It provides docking space for cable vessels, cable storage, molasses and aggregate vessels. The facility consists of a roll-on/roll-off ramp, two separate breasting dolphins for berthing bulk-type vessels and space for bulk cargo storage. The facility is equipped with asphalt and molasses pipelines that extend from the dock to storage tanks. It is also equipped with a 560-foot by 70-foot concrete lighted working apron and a 560-foot sheet pile bulkhead with breasting dolphins on both ends. It can accommodate large vessels with drafts up to 29 feet. This multi-purpose facility is primarily used to import molasses by tanker vessels to the Virgin Islands Rum Industries Limited distillery. It is also used for the importation of all liquid asphalt to the island, bulk cargo such as gravel, cement blocks and other construction material critical to St. Croix's construction industry. The pier can also accommodate submarine cable vessels, which are used to lay and repair intercontinental underwater telephone cables. VIPA is currently designing plans to shift all cargo operations from the Gallows Bay Marine Facility in Christiansted, St. Croix to the Molasses Pier. EFTA01158906