Dozens react to massive pothole on Brewers Bay road
A photo of a woman nestled deep inside an enormous pothole on a damaged road leading to the Brewers Bay area yesterday drew hundreds of reactions on social media.
A wooden pole stood upright at the centre of the chasm, serving as the only warning to unsuspecting road users unfamiliar with the terrain.
Some commenters questioned why the roads remained in a terrible state, while others joked that the pothole resembled a bat cave and could be used as a tourist attraction. The post was just one of several made across social media platforms in recent months, showing people in staged poses in various potholes across the BVI.
Some posts, which have featured tourists, highlight the stark contrast of the territory’s poor and often neglected road infrastructure against its pristine offerings of surf, sand and sea. A cruise official suggested recently that the tourist experience was negatively impacted by the state of some of the roads and remarked that a taxi driver had to play a proverbial game of dodgeball while navigating potholes on the island.
The government promised to address road infrastructure challenges that have plagued the territory for years. Still, fixes have been slow and few since the government commissioned an asphalt plant last year.
Budgetary allocations for infrastructure have also been a severe cause for concern, with Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer protesting an insufficient allocation for his Ministry from the territory’s $450 million budget.
Late last year, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley said that for 2024, the government allocated some $2.6 million under the development budget for road improvements. He further noted that the government’s road improvement programme includes the upgrade and rehabilitation of 38 miles of primary roads throughout Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke.
The Premier said at the time that a tender was put out for a comprehensive reconstruction of the road network, which he said would be completed within two years. He further explained that this would be paid for through loan funding.
Dr Wheatley also urged persons to recognise that there are limitations regarding the amount of revenues that the BVI earns as a territory, commenting that no endless pot of money is available.
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Fortunately, the big American Airlines party, the Music Fest and Natalio’s travels were a big success and a munch better use of funds than to improve our infrastructure.
#sarcasm
What a shame!! They will post take pick and show to others! To the government officials…you guys are definitely a waste of time!! As much I don’t want,England to take over, please take over and beautify the place!
You are waiting for England to beautify the place!! What a warped mentality.
Seems you live in a hole. So lemme pull you up.
IF THE BVI AINT GOING DO IT.
Let the UK DO IT.
Simple.
2024 and our infrastructure is STILL…..STILLLLLLLLLLLLL, for the love of God! STILL in a mess. I had to change tires and axles in the space of 2 months and now they going bad again, if I coulda cuss on this forum I would but this is the height of ignorance and stupidity at this point!
Them running the country went school but they get the answers from there class mate that’s why they can’t do the work they get grade past, dumb in a real life
WHERE IS THE ACTING PREMIER, LIKE HE ONLY CONCERN ABOUT DISTRICT?
DISTRICT 5 HIS DISTRICT
Clearly you have not driven through his district recently? As usual it is in utter shambles!!
Not even a cone nor a ribbon to mark this dangerous spot……COME ON PWD!!!!!!!!!!
Once again a goofy SM post by a tourist spawns a reaction… Do they know we still burn our garbage?
Not a tourist.
This is why YOU NEVER TRUST THE WHITES. SOULLESS.
You are a Racist Black Sam.
Go to America they promote that kind of nonsense.
Yeah race has nothing to do with pot holes and he or she is wrong for bringing it up, but your statement is nasty.
American whites promoted that racism first! You whites promoted racism towards blacks first! But now crying gtfoh Willy… Take whatever is dished at you like them lashes your ancestors used to give and that hate your people still give..
You telling me it’s 2024 so racism does not exist outside America? Yeah the year has all your brains cooked.
Satan’s offspring go way!
Nothing to do with race you M…..!!
YUH MODDA!
not a black hole a white hole a man hole or a woman hole but possibly one of your relatives racist a**hole
In order to get this fixed we will have to keep a music fest brewers bay
that’s just art work / it was designed to look ancient, and it helps to slow down those speedster and those
stunts youths on their 2 wheeled scooters from doing their wheelies ( and people still saying our premier ain’t got no vision , ain’t that creative ? / perhaps the woman can ant a fruit tree there , so when people including
the tourist passing there can pick a fresh fruit to eat as they enjoy our beautiful scenery – so more power to the premier and his gang
This is sarcasm at its finest LMAOO
Why are people afraid to say Kye is a waste of time, nothing under the Ministry he is responsible for is working, this band of misfits need to go!
KYE BUILT A MILLION DOLLAR MARKET, ANOTHER MILLION DOLLAR BUS STOP, ANOTHER MILLION DOLLAR COMPLEX IN HIS DISTRICT AND ANOTHER MILLION DOLLAR ELEVATOR IN THE GOVERNMENT COMPLEX
WE ARE GOING TO GET QUICK ACTION….IT WILL BE FIXED BEFORE THE DAY IS DONE
only if she had fall and fractured her hand
Now that it’s been exposed, they’ll at least throw asphalt in it by tomorrow. They don’t like exposure
Why does potholes continue to be this vexing, nagging , irritating, embarrassing, concerning, butt of jokes , etc problem for VI residents and visitors? Is it lack of resources, lack of knowledge, skill, ability, poor planning , poor road management, etc? Potholes are not unique to the VI, for all roads developed potholes. The problem is not insurmountable but requires effective budgeting, planning, organizing, management, etc. Taking a WAG, the VI has less than 400 lane miles of improved roads. Can the pothole, unforced error continuous vexing problem be arrested? Yes.
First. Roads need to be properly designed, constructed, maintained.
Second. Acknowledge that roads will develop potholes and Public Works must be proactive and up and out front in preventing, minimizing , and managing them. Managing them requires a) short-term and b) long -term plans.
Short-term. Procure three heat free pothole patching trucks ( 2 Tortola, 1 VG). Create 3 road inspector positions. Establish 3-3 persons pothole repair crews. Until pothole patcher trucks arrive on island, regular trucks can be adapted to meet the need. PWD can fashion a plan of action for Anegada and JVD.
Long-term. The road design , construction, and maintenance methodology must be revamped. Draining must be an integral part of the process-Crown and Drain it. Poor drainage result in premature road deterioration, resulting in increase maintenance and repair cost, reconstruction cost , enhanced probability of accidents, increased vehicle owners’ operating cost, etc, and diminished residents quality of life and standard of living, diminishing visitor experience, etc. Improving road quality benefits the whole community, ie, drivers, non -drivers, ambulances, police, fire, residential, commercial, industrial, etc.
@E. Leonard, thanks for the input. It came not only with questions but also with a suggested plan of action. My only criticism, if any, of the suggested plan of action is that Anegada and JVD roads too have potholes and should receive the same or commensurate level of care and attention as Tortola and VG. Nonetheless, I doubt your suggestion is going to get off the ground. Over the years, you have written articles, commented on road issues, etc and we are where we are. The whole situation is vexing. Our elected leaders and appointed officials travel frequently and traverse on good roads, so something within them trigger them to ask why can’t BVI come close as a minimum for its road to be at the same level. The bottom line is BVI roads must be in better condition. Why you guys go away and only come back for vacation? Can you clear up a rumour that government send you away to study but you still abroad. I’m trying to be inquisitive but more from curiosity.
I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired of the lessness in the BVI. Am I the only sick and tired of the road shaming and lessness. We take it seems we take lessness shameful as a badge of honor.Lessness, lessness…..rules supreme.
E. Leonard, you noted that potholes are a fact of life in the life of roads. However, to me , they are lagging indicators of the cause of road failures/deterioration. It would nice to have some leading indicators/practices instead of the lagging indicator signs. Are elected officials,, having driven on the roads daily, satisfied with the deplorable conditions of the road? Do they have alternate route to get around the territory? Or they are all swirling dark clouds, pealing thunder, flashing lighting but no rain? Here is a news flash to the Premier and other elected officials. The deplorable roads are a national/territorial shame, embarrassment. If the current gang cannot handle things step aside, for others.
we can turn this into a positive, come to the bvi and see the world’s biggest pot holes
How come Bone Crusher aint talk about dah yet? He’s always on Sea Cows Bay racetrack.
No endless pot of money is available ?
Ok, tell me then, why not put aside all the spending on festivities and use the same money that you took to entertain others,(ex. Music fest and Brandywine party) and put it into fixing our territory, I does want to cry when I have to go somewhere, have to leave home at least an hour so that I can take my cool sweet time as not to damage my vehicle. Mr. Premiere, I wish you drop in a pothole and mashup your car, then you will see what your people are crying about.
Well!Well! What a remarkable free advertisement for the Government of the BVI.
It’s such a burning shame that our government could spend thousands unwontedly
Look
Where we drop! The laughing stock of a top class tourist destination .
For the past 30 years this is the worst Leadership of Government yet !!!!’nAlthough all Government has its flaws. This one outnumber s them in pulling down my country . This is no political ploy. The facts are evident
We are tied in 1st place with Haiti
Deport her ra$$ ASAP
For exposing the harsh truth?? Expose them yes, the money the premier invested in a worthless music fest that same money could have fixed the roads.
North Korea style
“KYE BUILT A MILLION DOLLAR MARKET, ANOTHER MILLION DOLLAR BUS STOP, ANOTHER MILLION DOLLAR COMPLEX IN HIS DISTRICT AND ANOTHER MILLION DOLLAR ELEVATOR IN THE GOVERNMENT COMPLEX
”
Then y’all complain about Covid grant stimulus.
Many more people got besides farmers & fishers. Businesses & individuals got theirs. As far as im concerned if they going to waste it… giving the people the money & choice to use it wisely is better than having someone else waste it for them…
The problem being it was not totally inclusive and some persons did not apply then spin around and vex when they saw how much their neighbor get and talk bad about them.
We have enough. Stop saying we need to borrow & beg out of country & stop shaming our own who reach out for assistance.
OUR government has enough to pass around but waste it in concentrated spots & over staffing.
Send the people home and give all who qualify a universal basic income & teach them to invest, boom crime down.
At $6.50 – 10 nothing more available, an hour persons will be quick to invest into their own business.
They put a HR specialist in charge of Public Works last time I checked.
The truth is, the roads have been severely neglected by the last two (or perhaps 3) governments.
Yes, the Hon. Mr. Rymer has done zero when it comes to one of the most conspicuous responsibilities of his ministry over the past 5 years, but neither did the Hon. Mr. Vanterpool when we had a different party in power. At least before them the Hon. Mr. Fraser managed to repave his own 3rd district when he was Minister of Works.
And yes, I understand that roads are one of the largest line items in any local government’s budget. But 12 years of completely ignoring the roads is showing… Sure, a patch here and a patch there shows up, but NEVER – ever – actual repairs. And then the Hon. Mr. Rymer patches anew after three more months.
The roads are heading past the point of no return. This is so very wrong.
@Karnsge, real talk. We need to stop putting round pegs in in square holes. Previously, we put another HR person in charge of Water and Sewage and what did we get? Nought. We need to minimize cronyism, nepotism, etc. if we going to employ these, let’s make sure the people are qualified, not embarrassing themselves and you.
built the BVI on their backs and these modern overeducated {I won’t say fools} politicians allowing it to go to the dogs
stop calling dem tings ‘potholes’ please. they are dang craters which we only see in NASA images of Mars and the Moon!
The ministers do NOT pay for: Gas, repairs or any associated costs of ownership for their GV issued whips. Hence the do not feel or empathize with our daily pains driving these donkey paths.
Wasteful spending and investments have saddled the territory with crumbling infrastructure that is 1-2 major hurricanes away from total collapse. Be prepared friends and family; it will get worse – alot worse before 2025 rolls in!
It’s a dude by the way.lol short shorts is the rage y’all..plus the calves.
Best pothole so far this year.
Wonder which pothole will earn this distinction in June? Drivers send us your pothole photos ASAP!
Coming soon the annual BVI Pothole calendar for 2025!
2 million on a toilet in brewers bay,never seen it open and the vines are covering the gate.
There is a boarded of section of Joes Hill to keep the traffic back from the fallen edge. This has now passed the wooden barrier they put up by at least 2 feet. Clearly there is an issue and they are aware but needs fixing urgently.
Next election. anyone who stands on infrastructure, Power, Water and waste will get my vote. Its shocking how we are closing our eyes to these flaws in our beautiful Country.
We need more music fests to help raisethe money to fix the roads.
Sumpthimg is up…the deliberate continued don’t give a darn attitude, signals to me a change is on the horizon
Perhaps there is certainty that the zUL will take control so these elected are grabbing the treasury for themselves and leaving a BVI in shambles for the UK to repair.
I am in doubt there will be a publication accurate inancial disclosure about this past weekend d fest. That w a s zSjwabde abd company personal “go fund dem” as well
One day soon we will wake up and find we all been swallowed up by a giant crater that used to be the
BVI.
the BVI is not a real place just a big BRAGADAM run by poloitical “leaders” who think development is one music fest after the other. all is lost,
day sooner or later we will all wake up and find out we were all had and taken by this current crop of dishonest, greedy bill corrupt local, born here thieves.
well look who showed up \\ the great historian bounce back , and we are still waitng on your response on the ☆ island people them saga ☆ you yapping about everything else , but our own history * strangely * all we asking is – who started it / why was it started and what was the purpose of it * ? That even in this 21st century it is still being used to describe and discriminate against our Caribbean brothers and sisters , of which we share the same ancestry and live on an island like ours / and isn’t that a form of racial discrimination ? / aren’t we doing the same thing that the white slave masters did to our ancestors ? That we are here hollering out about now \ and before you turn ghost again ? when asked \ let’s hear you holler out at us now , the truth shall set you free
Imagine the damage under that road from water draining under it that we cannot see.
Be patient I am the premiere, we have to jam and wine and party first, the road and infrastructure comes last.