<strong>By Lance Cpl. Ryan Hageali, USMC</strong>

Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island took steps to strengthen the infrastructure and continue the longevity of the century-old post with the reopening of Cuba Street on Thursday, Jan. 28.

Cuba Street needed intensive repair after suffering hurricane damage. It was closed to traffic on Oct. 19, 2020 to address needed infrastructure repairs and improvements.

“This road is an important path to get from main side to Page Field where the recruits do the Crucible,” MCRD Parris Island Public Works Officer Cmdr. Andy Litteral said. “So, by raising it up and widening it, (it) makes it more resilient against storms.”

During construction, the average elevation of Cuba Street was raised by 1.5 feet. Ancillary road construction items include pavement markings, shoulder grading, bollard placement and guardrail removal, repair and reinstall.

The reconstruction provides for greater resiliency during significant weather/tidal events while improving safety for drivers, pedestrians, and troop movements.

The street was completed and reopened just nine weeks after the construction began. Rocky Hill Contracting Inc. completed the project in half the anticipated time frame.

“Our partnership with Rocky Hill Contracting Inc. has been extremely successful, they had a schedule that was supposed to go for four months but they recognized how important it was to us,” Litteral said. “They worked extremely hard and they were able to deliver it in two months. This project was a great example of how we can take some very simple steps to make Parris Island more resilient for the future and against significant weather events.”

<em>Above: Brig. Gen. Julie L. Nethercot, commanding general of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, and a representative from Rocky Hill Contracting Inc. cut a ribbon during a Thursday, Jan. 28 ceremony dedicated to the reopening of Cuba Street on Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. Cuba Street was closed to traffic on Oct. 19, 2020 to address needed infrastructure repairs and improvements. Photos by Lance Cpl. Ryan Hageali, USMC.</em>