South Dock Road
Providenciales
South Dock Road is an area located on the south-eastern side of Providenciales, and gets its name from being the route that connects Downtown to the industrial port of South Dock. This road and surrounding area primarily is commercial and industrial use, and many of the island’s heavy equipment, construction, and bulk material importers have locations on the road. South Dock Road also connects the Five Cays and Chalk Sound regions to central Providenciales.
Previously, the Providenciales landfill was located directly off the northern side of South Dock Road, but was moved due to complaints from airlines, as flights were experiencing landing delays due to smoke from illegal fires at the dump. The Providenciales International Airport was essentially adjacent and downwind to the landfill, and which made the old location untenable.
Despite initially being a largely industrial area, the South Dock area has increasingly become mixed-use with the construction of more private residences, especially on the western ridge overlooking the scenic Chalk Sound Lagoon.
Road Safety
Due to the many junctions and accesses off of South Dock Road, the many hills and elevations changes across the road which limits visibility, and the presence of vehicles that commonly exceed the speed limit, this route is historically one of the more dangerous roads in the Turks and Caicos. Visitors and locals alike are advised to drive cautiously.
Past History
As the South Dock Road area is adjacent inland to the old Providenciales settlement of Five Cays, fertile portions of the region once served as farmland.
During the post-Loyalist period of history, life was difficult in the islands and subsistence agriculture, fishing, and small-scale trade had to come together to produce the necessities of life. The common crops at the time were maize, beans, pigeon peas, okra, squash, sugar cane, and plantains, which would be raised in the gullies and low points between the hills.