The Virgin Islands are on track to become the first place in the Caribbean with a comprehensive mapped street network, as officials announced that 97% of roads and addresses in St. John have been completed as part of a territory-wide street addressing initiative.
“Saint John is distinguished as the first island with a total urban and rural grid, where you can be taken from one place to the other, following the road signs,” said Lt. Gov. Tregenza A. Roach at a press conference Wednesday, referencing travelers using popular mapping software. “We are the first place in the Caribbean that will have an urban grid of this nature.”
Over 70% of named roads across the territory have been addressed, with full project completion, including signage, targeted for summer 2026. Chris George, director of the Geographic Information System, said the territory is now ready to submit the updated addresses to major digital mapping platforms and public agencies. “We are in a good place to do our official submission to the global mapping engine — Google, Apple Maps, Esri — as well as all the public-facing agencies that need the data,” he said. “Whether it’s Public Works, the Department of Health, or 911, all of that data submission is happening this week.”
The initiative, now in its final phase, aims to provide accurate addresses for all roads in the territory, improving emergency response, public safety, and business services.
“We have more elderly people living alone, so it is vital that we’re able to access these people quickly,” Roach said. “When we talk about public health and safety, it’s critical. But then also, this is a major improvement for business. It results in effective delivery services.”
Even with those practical benefits, Roach acknowledged that the territory’s current system of giving directions is rooted in a long-standing cultural practice.
“All of us who have traveled throughout the Caribbean know how people give directions,” Roach said. “You go down the street, and then you’re going to see a big pink house, and then after … you make a left, and then you go past the mahogany trees … make a left there, and then it’s the pink and white house.”
Roach noted that while landmark-based directions can be culturally beneficial — helping residents learn and recognize places in the community — they are not the most efficient way to navigate. “That might be nice from a cultural standpoint, because it helps you to identify landmarks,” he said. “If somebody references a point by a landmark, now you learn a landmark. But it is not the most efficient means of getting somewhere, especially if there’s a person waiting for assistance.”
In keeping with that focus on culture, the street addressing initiative is designed not only to modernize navigation and emergency response, but also to reflect and involve the community. Community groups and residents have played a significant role, particularly in Saint John, where local activists and organizations helped achieve 97% completion of addresses. “We had the community groups in Saint John. We had activists in Saint John. Everybody came together, and that is why we were able to complete Saint John first,” Roach said.
Roach said the project creates space for neighborhoods to honor their own history. “This has really become an opportunity for community dialogue — people who lived here, events that took place here,” he said. “How do we enshrine these things in our history so that people will come along? This is the opportunity to say, ‘I want a road named for Mr. So-and-so,’ because whenever the children were coming home, he used to act like the school crossing guard and help them cross the street safely. So this gives an opportunity for us to look at and enshrine some of these people.”
Roach emphasized that the street-naming initiative is a community-driven process, not dictated by a single individual. “You come in, you get a form, and then you speak to the people in your community, you speak to property owners on that road, and we get a certain percentage of people to agree. Then that name is added,” he explained. Some roads, however, were named by the Legislature and require a formal legislative petition to change. “Some of the roads have been named by the legislature, so we’re not able to change those, but you can petition the legislature as well,” he said.
The project is currently at the execution stage for street sign contracts in St. John, with every intersection set to receive a street name sign, including two illuminated highway signs at Gift Hill and Border Mountain. Once all three major islands and outlying keys are complete, officials plan to make a formal proclamation of a fully functioning system.
“We’re looking at summer 26 completion time, but the addressing portion should be done before that,” said George.
Officials encouraged all residents, from individuals to neighborhood groups, to participate in the final phases of the project, ensuring that the new system is both functional and representative of the Virgin Islands.
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