Constructing, maintaining and funding the BVI’s ailing road network
Edgar Leonard - Tuesday, February 7th, 2012 at 10:09 AM
The state of territory’s road network is a white-hot topic; it is a topic of discussion at taxi stands, government offices, construction sites, ballparks, bars, restaurants, kitchen tables, among other places. Roads are a vital and integral part of BVI’s transportation network that also includes airports, and seaports.
The BVI has a road network of approximately 200 miles, 160 miles of which are improved (paved). It is one of mostly highly visible infrastructure.
And its condition affects the standard of living and quality of life of the whole territory. It touches every part of Virgin Islanders and residents’ life from commuting to work, to frequently visiting auto repair shops, to taking a trip to one of the islands white sand beaches, to dodging potholes or to visiting families or friends in the hospital. Therefore, the ailing road network demands urgent attention and resources to rebuild, repair, maintain, and fund its rehabilitation.
Further, the road network enables quick movement of Virgin Islanders and residents, and goods from one place to another. Moreover, good roads, in addition to providing a safe and comfortable ride, reduce vehicles operational cost, boost territorial pride, and improve economic growth opportunities. Additionally, roads are more than a physical infrastructure; they are public spaces where people meet and travel to meet each other. They are much about civic life. Good fences make good neighbors is a common expression. Similarly, good roads can make happier and friendlier motorists.
Undoubtedly, the proper management and care of the road network play a key role in improving our quality of life and standard of living, as well as providing a platform for economic growth and development. But too many roads across the territory from Jost Van Dyke to Anegada to Tortola are in a deteriorated condition. And the big question is how did so many miles of our roads get in such poor condition?
There is no single answer to this question. Among the causes that can be attributed to the deteriorated condition are questionable design, poor construction, lack of proper periodic and routine maintenance/repair, poor drainage, ineffective road network management, inadequate funding, and repeated natural disaster (hurricanes). Nonetheless, regardless of the cause(s) of the deterioration, urgent, aggressive construction/reconstruction, maintenance and repair, and funding programmes are needed to get the roads to a manageable condition. Maintaining the road network is a basic government function; and deferred action is not an option. There is no more room to kick the road network re-construction, construction and repair can down the road. The entire road network needs a comprehensive review and overhaul.
A road is similar to a layered cake; it typically consists of a subgrade, base, and surface (riding course) layers. Each layer plays a specific role in the effective functioning of a roadway. For example, the subgrade (bottom layer) is designed with the engineering properties to distribute the load transmitted from the other two layers into the ground. The territory’s topography, save for Anegada, is primarily hilly.
Consequently, designing and constructing roads in the territory will be more challenging and more expensive than it would be on primarily flatter terrain. Nonetheless, our road design standards should as a minimum include 1) 15-30 year design lifecycle (useful life), 2) proper drainage systems, 3) minimum cross sections to accommodate the heaviest wheel load, 4) gentle horizontal and vertical curves, 5) minimum sight distances, 6) effective road alignment, 7) proper elevation of crown of roads above surround terrain, 
cross slopes 9) specific construction and inspection methods/practices, 10) minimum allowable spread on roadways(given the majority of roads are two lane–one lane in each direction—this requirement is critical), 11)private road connections,12) minimum retaining walls standards, 13)asphalt or concrete pavement…………..etc.
Moreover, the road network has varying design lifecycles and each year X miles of road should be programmed, planned, funded and scheduled by the PWD for reconstruction and repair. Further, the road net work is small and has limited alternate routes. Thus, to the maximum extent practicable and to minimize the disruption and inconveniences to motorists, major road work should be performed at night when there is less demand on the system.
Further, though there are many contributing causes for the poor road condition, one of the primary causes is poor drainage. Proper drainage is critical to the structural integrity and operational effectiveness of the road network. Runoff infiltrating into the surface, base, or subgrade damages the structural integrity of the system, shortening its lifecycle. Water is a road network nemesis. Consequently, the road network must be designed, constructed, and maintained to prevent infiltration into the subgrade, base or surface course, to prevent ponding on the roadway and on the edge of pavement/shoulders. Thus, a drainage system must be designed, constructed, and maintained to intercept, collect, and convey runoff along or under the roadway to designated outfalls. Another area of concern is mudslides; system should be designed to prevent/minimize mudslides.
Assuming that the road network was effectively designed and properly constructed, attaining a 15-30 year design lifecycle from a road requires an aggressive maintenance programme. This programme should include preventative, routine, and periodic maintenance. Without an organized, aggressive and structured maintenance programme, potholes, cracks, ruts and other road distresses will form, causing the road to crumble and fail prematurely.
Therefore, the longer a roadway goes without maintenance the quicker the road deteriorates and the more expensive it becomes to repair. Philosophically, once a road has failed, it is not a good business practice to invest scarce resources to repair it; repairing a failed road is just a band-aid, cosmetics, wasted money. Instead, available scarce money is normally invested in good roads to prevent them from failing. Nonetheless, the reality is that often failed roads are repaired only for the problems to reappear shortly after the repair; failed roads need to be reconstructed, not repaired.
Consequently, to attain as much of the design life as possible, a roadway requires routine and periodic maintenance. Routine maintenance entails fixing potholes, cracks, ruts…etc as soon as they are identified; PWD should have structured inspection, and pavement rating programmes as standard operating procedures(SOP). Additionally, it should also have aggressive and effective crack sealing, erosion, and washout programmes as SOPs. Moreover, a periodic maintenance programme  extends the lifecycle of the road network. For example a 30 year hot mix asphalt roadway normally requires a seal coat approximately every seven (7) years and an overlay every fifteen (15) years and an another seal coat at 22 years.
And at about 85-90 % of the roadway design life, reconstruction should be programmed, planned, and funded. Roadway construction/reconstruction should be part of a short-and long-term capital improvement program (CIP). And periodic maintenance requirements should be an integral part of PWD’s programmatic and dynamic maintenance action plan (MAP).
Thus far, the discussion has been on asphalt pavement but concrete can also equally meet the need. Which is the better option? Selecting either hot mix asphalt or concrete is a matter of choice. Concrete is more expensive to construct initially but cheaper to maintain; whereas, asphalt’s initial construction cost is lower but its maintenance cost is higher throughout its design life. See the level of periodic maintenance for an asphalt road above; concrete also needs maintenance but mostly on joint repair.
Another critical resource needed to provide a modern, safe, and functional road network is adequate funding. Roads are a key and critical infrastructure in the growth and development of the territory. They are a key component in improving and sustaining the high quality of life and standard of living that Virgin Islanders have grown accustom to. They are vital to business and industry.
Thus, the road network needs a dedicated funding source(s), and not have to depend on the current funding method, which can fluctuate from year- to- year. Moreover, without a dedicated funding source, maintenance may be deferred; deferred maintenance accelerates deterioration and increases the repair/reconstruction cost. As a result, a dedicated road maintenance/user fee needs to be established. The following are some suggestions for funding the fee a) a gas tax, b)a portion of fee paid for driver licenses, c) assessment on property tax, d) assessment on land tax,…….etc
Finally, the proper design, construction, maintenance, and funding of the current 160 miles of paved and the 40 miles of unimproved road, as well as future increases of lane miles, to the road network is critical to social and economic growth and development. Though the territory is going through a tough recession and funding is scarce, road funding, a critical requirement, should be a top priority in budgetary allocations. The electorate elected government to make tough decisions and it must muster the courage to fund and fix this critical infrastructure.
The government is currently negotiating with the UK for the ok to borrow money to fix some roads but it needs a Plan B just in case Plan A fails. The constructing, maintaining, and funding the ailing road network is a top priority; it is important and urgent.
Edgar Leonard is a Virgin Islander currently residing abroad
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10 Comments
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design the roads properly in the first place. the endless quick fixes are an incredible waste of money. Get the finance for it form upping the tax on the ehavy vehicles that use and destroy the roads.
The streets are in horrible condition. The whole thing needs reworking. Government should employ qualified and experience contractors to construct and repair streets. Public works needs to properly trained its employees on effective street maintenance. Jeffrey are you listening; perhaps Glasgow in his new role can develop some design, construction, and maintenance standards.
It is high time we fix the streets. The bad streets are tough on our cars suspension system. Government say there is no money. But it needs to find money to fix the streets. Some other things may have to be delayed to fix the streets and hospital. I think this is view of a lot of voters. Lets do dis thing de man.
What about those unemployed youths? Can any of them be trained to fix the roads? Two birds one stone.
PWD handles that.
Major street repair contracts can include a requirement that the contractor(s) dedicate a certain dollar value or percentage of the contract for hiring unemployed or underemployed youths. It is a set aside but a set aside to train and employ young Virgin Islanders. It could be a win-win.
Thank you Mr. Leonard. It is long past time that our road system woes were addressed in a meaningful and intelligent manner.
The current practice of marrying asphalt with concrete is positively insane! The two materials expand and contract at different rates and CANNOT bond properly. Therefore, any asphalt laid on top of concrete is bound to fail SOONER ~ rather than later.
To spend taxpayers money on such repairs is utter nonsense. The government may as well stack all that money in one place and burn it for all the good these so called “repairs” will do. In fact, this type of repair is adding to our overall problems because when the roads do fail, we then have to deal with the problem of collecting, carting off and dumping the ruined asphalt!
I am imploring the government to please do things properly and stop wasting taxpayers money! If you are going to lay an asphalt road, you must first REMOVE any concrete base that remains! Then design and build a properly compacted road bed (with drainage) before laying the asphalt. Please also be certain to remove any clay that may be present as it makes for a very poor road bed that is destined to fail regardless of how well built the road may be. We have LOTS of clay in the BVI!
Please try to think ahead. We are constantly digging up our roads for one reason or another ~ at great expense to the taxpayer. PLAN for the future and lay whatever utilities, service lines, drainage systems while keeping in mind any future road ingresses that will be required.
It’s true, if you drive through Mt. Sage road to go by the cross road at Carrot and CGBay, where they had the accident with the tour bus, you will see that the asphalt is a nuissance. The concrete road under it is fine but because the thick coating of asphalt is in disrepair, it feels like your driving through 100 pot holes. Now, they started removing the asphalt the road is good as new. Leave the roads concrete, i don’t see what’s hard in that.
I drive that road daily and must agree the cleared sections are nicer. However, I notice that my brand new tires slip on the concrete that is below so it should be graded similar to those at Elevator Hill.
Ashvalt is the nemesis of our roadways. It is in constant disrepair. Then along comes PWD and they drop some loose ashvalt in a pothole (or worse yet the deep cuts a homeowner makes to service water pipes to their home) only to see that ashvalt never stick and be driven away in the tires of every car that passes. We desperately need our roads to be a priority and drainage is the key to maintance.
Funding is necessary to build and upkeep a proper road network and we are but a small country. I say tax those who drive these roads consistently. The taximen! They drive the roads and wear them down faster than the “civilian driver”. Increase the cost of the taxi license to include a road tax that goes directly to the coffers of government to be put towards our roads.
Strong and solid points on overlaying concrete with asphalt, better planning, constantly cutting into roads, and proper preparation of subgrades.
In some locales,concrete is overlayed over asphalt(white topping) but the opposite is not a common practice. PWD, if they are not already doing so, need to collaborate with the utilities well in advance of any planned, major road construction or repair work: water, sewerage, drainage, electricity, and telecommunications.
This allows utilities to plan for performing any needed work in parallel with the road construction. It also minimizes cutting into the road. Frequent cuts shorten the lifecycle. Perhaps utilities should have to pay a road recovery fee for cutting into the road. Other areas have a recovery fee.
Further, expansive subgrades such as clay need to be stabilized with either PCC or limestone.
Y USE THA OLD PIC THE ROAD LOOK MORE LIKE S.. NOW THAN IT DID THEN
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