$20M price tag for planned roadworks, SFC told
Some $20 million are expected to be directed towards planned road works across the territory.
However, no timeline has been given for the completion of these projects.
This is according to Acting Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Communications and Works, Jovita Scatliffe, who told the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) that the Ministry is fully cognisant of the deplorable state of the territory’s road infrastructure.
The SFC is a body chaired by the House of Assembly (HOA) Speaker to examine the budget document head by head. Accounting Officers are invited to explain and rationalise their budget submissions and answer any questions HOA members may have.
Some of the areas identified for development include the Joe’s Hill Road and drainage; Fort Hill Road and drainage; Fat Hogs Bay to Paraquita Bay road rehabilitation; Parham Town to Long Swamp road rehabilitation; Anegada, Jost Van Dyke road extension; and Virgin Gorda road rehabilitation, among others.
Scatliffe said the Ministry continues to add several projects at various stages of planning, procurement and implementation to remedy the conditions of the infrastructure that affect the daily lives of businesses and visitors alike.
The PS further stated that due to the rainy season, roads continue to be a problem because of poor drainage and substandard road construction to which numerous complaints have been lodged.
Optimistically, Scatliffe explained that the Ministry believes that once the new asphalt plant is commissioned early this year, it would instantly help reduce the cost of rehabilitating the roads and eventually lead to an enhanced road network territory-wide.
In the meantime, the Ministry is also seeking to complete a third lane along Waterfront Drive, which would extend from McNamara junction to the Road Town ferry terminal. Plans are reportedly underway to tender this project for completion in 2023.
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Without a timeline, the estimated cost is meaningless. Is there even any kind of master road plan?
If we did them correctly the first time we wouldn’t be at this stage..Could u imagine every election is about this…that’s why the country can’t move forward…same topics every election road sewage drainage
Can we have the $20Million go into the roads this time and not straight into peoples pockets. We need checks and controls. Standards that should be met and checked before payments are made. Use honest contractors that know what they are doing, will do what they say and are so proud they will not take money until the job is done and done right. Let’s evolve ourselves on the road to independence by doing things right.
In first world countries, that is the price of
1 mile of road. Perhaps because they do it properly.
All them unfinished sidewalks in east End needs to be fixed. whichever land lord have water over flowing from their property unto the sidewalk needs to fix their plumbing or guttering.
Soo 20 million , that means that the registration fees should be around 1000$ a year per car. Lets implement that so the infrastructure can get built and kept up.It is far to cheap to have a car here, cheapest place in the world. registration fees not even paying for the DMV offices. Lets get real User TAX, if you wnat to have a car then you have to pay.
Trucks need to pay their share too trucks should cost 5-10000 $ per year , that is how much wear they put on roads.
We the people are some of our worse nightmares. When we have professional to do the job, locals on the same job interviene “we dont do it like that”, this is why we have to go over and do the same job at a price constantly. Think we know it all and not leave ot to the professionals
We want a comprehensive plan on the proposed road works. How do you get the 20-million-dollar figure without any plans?
The first thing they need to do before they start in East End is fine those landlords who have all the water running off their property into the road. This is happening from Paraquita Bay come straight up. Right next to VI Block East is a nightmare.
Please put in the proper infrastructure, proper gutters, drainage, to deal with this horrible problem.
@Poorplanning The reason is that the $20 Million is not really going to go on the roads. So no plan needed. Just hungry family and friends (the ones that are rich already) who just need money not work. No plan needed just BVILove. Why BVI Love when rest of the time we VI. Let’s love the VI and move on. But for that the $20 Million needs to go into the roads and not into pockets. We desperately need VI Love.
You sound so dumb. Some of them trucks ain’t making 5 to 10 k a year for the owner. That make any sense? I agree the registration could increase a bit with the additional going toward road maintenance. But you have to be realistic. This place already overpriced with everything else.
with the quality of road repair works in the BVI that will be 20 million into the sea
$20 million “expected”, no timeline for completion = no hard facts, just more BS
If you want quality roadwork, there is a Jamaican company in St Kitts Nevis that have done considerable roadwork there and these roads are better/stronger than most first class road found anywhere. BVI engineers are going to give you a whack job costing many millions more that are ten times more inferior. Visit St Kitts and view the road network, you cannot compare any VI road to the roads there.
There is no country in the world where one mile of regular road costs $20 million US to build.
Do you know of,or seen any engineer working on any of our road construction in recent times. Our road construction is done by and supervised by daily paid workers. That is how good our roads are. Road repairs last for two weeks and one week if there is a good shower of rain. Road near Fort Recovery was repaired twice in December and the same potholes are back again on Jan 7th.
Are those funds for covering the existing concrete roads in asphalt, as per usual, or are the funds for engineering some proper roads with drainage and some sort of thought for the future?
DMV are making sure our car road worthy, the question is – Are the roads car worthy??
Nice. No, roads are not car worthy. So If a car is not roadworthy it cannot drive on the roads. So you saying if roads are not car worthy then cars cannot drive on them. I see a problem. No one going anywhere in cars for a while.
How many times these astronomical sums of money going to be allocated to fix the roads? The sad part is it goes into people’s pockets but the roads are still in disrepair. What a f**king shame and disgrace.
The person who dislike the post what are you a landlord? Did I say something wrong? If you walk by Grams Restaurant going down to the police station you’ll see all the overflowing water coming out from people property. The side walk is even slippery I saw a child fall, thus my post.