Bahamas Hot Mix (BHM) Public Relations Officer, Vickindra Simon, disclosed that the final phase of the extensive roadwork project on Friars Hill Road and the Sir George Walter Highway is expected to be completed by September 2020.
The Road Rehabilitation project is undertaken by a collaborative effort between Project Implementation Management Unit (PIMU) and contractor, Bahamas Hot Mix (BHM).
The roadwork project is being funded by the British Government, at a cost of approximately 13.9 million pounds. The funds are managed through the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and oversight is provided by the Department for International Development (DFID)
Simon confirmed the expectation for completion of the final phase of the project, saying, “Hopefully, by 2020 June, we should complete Friars Hill Road, in terms of asphalt paving,” and: “We plan to be completed with paving on Sir George Walter Highway by September 2020.”
She added that the current completion status for Friars Hill Road is as follows: paving, 40 per cent; drainage, 50 per cent; drainage piping, 41 per cent; and drainage culverts, 75 per cent.
For the Sir George Walter Highway, the status of the asphalt paving is said to be 10 per cent, for drainage piping, 40 per cent, and drainage culverts, 16 per cent.
The additional work that is expected to be done includes headwalls, bus shelters, line markings, crash barriers, handrails and street signs. Some of this work will be executed, simultaneously, with the paving.
For the headwalls, work is due to start in October, from Bridget’s Supermarket (Cedar Grove/Friar’s Hill Road junction) in Phase 1A. Once the headwalls are complete, the work will move to West Indies Oil, where they will switch over to the Sir George Walter Highway.
Sidewalks, which are notably absent on Friars Hill Road Phase 1 – due to a lack of pedestrian traffic – are due to commence at the end of October in Phase 2 of Friars Hill Road.
Bus shelters are also scheduled to be constructed in October, though BHM is waiting on approval from the Development Control Authority (DCA). Twenty-three bus shelters will be constructed on both corridors.
Line markings and crash barriers, handrails and street signs will be done in the final phase of the project, scheduled for 2020.
Five roundabouts will be done as part of the project, with three on Friars Hill Road – the Cedar Grove/Friars Hill Road junction (scheduled to be done next week), the Friars Hill Phase 2/Dickenson Bay junction and Cross Street (YMCA junction).
The other two will be done on Sir George Walter Highway Road (scheduled for October) and one on Factory Road.
A planned closure to accommodate paving, will be done for the Cedar Valley junction to the West Indies oil section of Friars Hill Road some time next week, for paving. Access will be maintained for local businesses and residents of the area.
For the Epicurean/West Indies Oil section, traffic adjustments will be in the form of single-lane traffic and traffic lights. This is scheduled to be done before December of this year.
Anne Harewood George, Community Liaison Officer with the PIMU, voiced her concern with what she described as “non-compliance” of drivers with the temporary traffic management measures being implemented as part of the project.
“Throughout Project Implementation, we are working collaboratively with various internal and external agencies to ensure that we put stakeholders first. We’re continuously consulting stakeholders. We’re letting them know what’s happening, in terms of Project Implementation – more specifically – Traffic Management,” she said.
She appeals to road users to be more careful and respectful of the instructions being conveyed in the midst of the project implementation.
“One of the biggest challenges that we are facing right now is the road user behaviour and non-compliance, with respect to traffic management. By this, I mean, we need to respect the flag operators – these are women and men who work tirelessly to ensure that these diversions and traffic management measures are carried out.” she explained.
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Choooooooopsss
And how much of this £13.9 million pounds of MY tax money has been spent on road improvements in Barbuda?, since the UN official and those in the mix decided to classify Barbuda as a unitary state with Antigua???..
YOUR tax money? I presume that you are a British citizen or resident.
By the way, no UN official “decided to classify Barbuda as a unitary state with Antigua”. The CONSTITUTION of Antigua and Barbuda makes it so; the very CONSTITUTION that both Antiguans and Barbudans crafted for themselves.
@Alex N De-Azle you should be ashamed to say you went to Grammar School. “Semper Virens” def does not apply to you boss.
I thought those roads were going to be completed by the end of December.That was echoed by the Minister of Works some weeks ago.Did he not know of which he speaks.Mouth open toory jump out.
Notes From A Native Son Of The Rock! “Oh Gad!” – Joanne Hillhouse!
Who’s Zooming Who with the Proposed Expected Completion Date!
That an Initiate or Novitiate would confess their transgressions and ask for absolution given the suggested completion percentages less they be cast into purgatory or Dantes Inferno is without question!
When will we train and get Antiguans and Barbudans certified as Quantity Surveyors/Cost Consultants, Project Managers and or Construction Managers! Have Mercy Pon Us!
The last certified Quantity Surveyor resident on Antigua of African Descent was a St. Lucian Female Engineer! She left these shores many moons ago and here we have another fiasco heading for the Courts a la the 2011/2014 disaster!
Neither the Contractor or Public Works – The Owner – have demonstrated that they have engaged Project/Construction Managers skilled in social psychology and public health! Clearly the Means and Methods employed by the Contractor over which the Owner – Public Works. APUA and The Police Traffic Department -has no responsibility is fully understood! Given the magnitude of the disruption to all road users it should have alerted all concerned of a need for Behavioral Patterns of Public Safety during the Construction Period! If Contractor and Owner had a better understanding of how and why the Antigua Road User act the way they do, then they would have a better chance of avoiding disruptive attitudes from Road Users and a better chance of getting cooperation with and from the Road Users! Clearly neither Contractor or Owner had the slightest idea of understanding the causes of their own behavior, much less the Public’s so that they could better work to keep the behaviors in line with their preferred plans, goals, targets, quality of work, budgets and schedules! They did noting to improve Behavioural Patterns that would change Road Users Attitudes!
JFII sees a huge Pay Day looming on the “Golden Mile, Isaac Royall and the American Sea Bees Legacy!” Pay UP Now or Forever Hold your Peace! Clearly the Legal Beagles did not vet the Uninitiated! As they say in the Admiralty,”Loose Lips Sink Ships!”
This mere voice in the wilderness will keep his powder dry on the Barbuda Airport P3 Project Lest We Remember VCBIA’s runway, taxiways and aprons southern nightmare!
“A phenom must be studied and analyzed in relationship to psychological time and space. It must always be located. This is the only way to investigate the complex interrelationships of science and art, design and execution, creation and maintenance, generation and tradition, and other areas bypassed by theory.” _Dr. Molefi Asante!
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