Turks and Caicos Advances US$500 Million Airport Programme as Port and Road Works Continue
The Turks and Caicos Islands is moving ahead with a national airport development programme valued at more than US$500 million, Infrastructure Minister Arlington Musgrove said in a ministerial statement in the House of Parliament on Wednesday, September 23. He also reported progress on seaport projects and roads across several islands.
The airport programme, to be delivered by the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority, is intended to develop the network from Providenciales to Salt Cay. At Howard Hamilton International Airport in Providenciales, architects and engineers were appointed in July for Terminal B, an interim passenger facility. It would move border clearance into a larger temporary space and free more of the existing terminal for departures. Musgrove said construction delivery is targeted over the next 18 months.
The government is also planning a full redevelopment of the Providenciales airport. Its business case is being finalised for approval, and a draft site master plan was presented to the National Steering Committee last week, Musgrove said. The proposal includes a new terminal designed for approximately 2.5 million to 3 million passengers annually and a parallel taxiway.
Invitations to tender for a national radar project, design work on the parallel taxiway and runway work in North Caicos are expected soon. Design work for the redevelopment of Clifford Gardiner Airport in North Caicos is well advanced, with procurement for construction expected in the first quarter of the 2027/28 financial year. The airport authority is also assessing runway safety and risks in Grand Turk, while work on a car park and commercial centre continues at South Caicos airport.
Musgrove said the airport authority is preparing a financing strategy that will go through approvals by its board, Cabinet and partners in the United Kingdom. He did not announce a financing agreement or a completion date for the full Providenciales redevelopment.
The minister also outlined progress at South Dock Port, where construction of a second berth remains scheduled for completion by December. Once finished, it would allow the port to accommodate as many as four vessels simultaneously, he said. Later phases of the port project are planned for subsequent financial years.
In South Caicos, a new port building is on track for completion by Christmas and is ahead of schedule, according to Musgrove. He said the Cedar Park waterfront development is also progressing ahead of schedule.
At Bellefield Landing in North Caicos, Minister Musgrove said the commercial ramp and boat slip are complete, although minor alterations to the boat slip are still being finalised. A boardwalk is expected to be completed before the fifth annual Kew Day Festival. Musgrove said work is underway to designate Bellefield Landing as an official port of entry.
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