Fix it and move on! Premier downplays stalled QEII road project
During a recent press conference, a reporter questioned the Premier about the over $40,000 spent on the road project and asked why his government should obtain even more loans that could be wasted on other road projects.
“I have great confidence that the Minister of Communications and Works and his team will rectify that road,” Dr Wheatley responded. “Whatever took place there that didn’t work out… these things happen. We just have to learn from them, fix it and move on because just complaining about it is not going to help.”
Premier Wheatley expressed confidence that his government would secure a $100 million loan, part of which is expected to help repair some 38 miles of damaged roads in the territory.
“Actually, not seeking this $100 million loan, what’s that going to do?” the Premier asked. “It is going to allow the rest of the territory to continue to suffer on a very poor infrastructure. So, I’m about moving forward. We understand what happened in the past. There’s nothing we can do to change that now. Let’s get this $100 million loan, and let’s get our roads fixed.”
Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer told the House of Assembly earlier this year that the Public Works Department spent $180,743 on roadwork alongside Queen Elizabeth II Park before workers discovered shallow utility lines and a high water table, which stalled the project.
The Works Minister was responding to a question from Territorial At-Large Representative Stacey ‘Buddha’ Mather at the time.
Rymer mentioned that $135,523 of the funds was used for “rebar, concrete, a mini excavator, additional labour via work orders, and five pallets of pavement bricks” to build the 581 linear feet of sidewalk that now borders the park.
The rest of the money — $45,220 — went to preparatory works for the “third-lane project” on the other roadside of the sidewalk, which will result in a middle turn lane on Waterfront Drive.
That work included filling in the construction site to allow trucks to haul away debris, adjusting manhole covers to the final road height, and using a roller to compact the road-base and sub-base in preparation for fresh asphalt.
However, Rymer said workers noticed the area was “spongy” due to the high water table and heavy rains that fell before the roadworks commenced. “Shallow” utility lines in the area prevented sufficient base-aggregate compaction, according to the minister. Consequently, he said the asphalt will have to be removed to mitigate against the sponginess and to ensure a stabilised concrete base before the placement of asphalt.
Rymer did not provide a suggested completion date for the project after Mather questioned him further.
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Whether or not it turned out to be ” spongy” the road was a stupid idea from the beginning. Where is it supposed to go and what is it for ? It ends in a sewer. That contract needs to be looked at carefully.
I blame Lorna in the Corna, the 70 yr old senior citizen that jumped over a pew, 3 rows of chairs and a 7 ft gap in order to join the losing side in an election and form a government
one of the worst failures of this government and i don’t say that lightly because this government has failed at everything
This will be the 3rd festival meeting this area in the same condition
Just make it a shoulder or spillover parking for QEII Park and Government House.
so why we acting like we are supprised ? hopefully it will be fixed before those highly intelligent people decides to sit down in the street again ( so they will have a nice clean road to sit on , free of potholes / and our can add his new found musical talent to help spice up the event
Fix it and move on! That project was done in the past just another minor mistake no one in government is talking about. What dodgy engineer will be paid to provide a report to say the houses are safe and the Banks will provide loans. Other wise another corruption scandal lies in wait when Government is forced into acting as guarantor of the landslide liabilities and mortgages of the whole site.
Another “learning experience “ that we paid too much for.
Why are people complaining? We elected a bunch of people that never ran anything in their lives and now expect them to run a country? Voting has consequences, simple!
Sooo was the unnamed unidentified contractor paid wit h real money and was the job inspected by named person,
…sooo what consequences,accountability. Not newsworthy.or as usual,nothing to report along those lines.
He just stop using the word mistake and replace that with learning experience. Fact still remains that they fail at almost everything except spending off public funds. This administration is a mistake and should be a learning experience for the BVI.
First I will say, I am keeping it real, 100%, I blaze you all the time and I will continue to do so. However, I will give you props for the song, never knew you had that type of talent. You can actually sing and the song is a nice song. Why did you give that up to become Premier? Being a Premier is not a big deal nor is it worth it. There is an uproar about you being away from the Territory more than you should be in the Territory. The only thing I can say is when you leave the Territory is the only way you can get a good nights sleep. You are carrying the weight of the Territory and the people on your back solo. At the end of the day is it really worth it?
I’m rolling on the floor laughing. I see what you did there. I second the motion. Can all in favour say I?
End party politics in the Virgin Islands. Elect ministers based on their ability to do the job, not their connections, affiliations or alliances.
Mr Premier is right. Fix it and move on! That’s your job Kye. Should Sowande do everything? Strupes. From what I read, they were to lay the concrete first before the asphalt. They did not do so in the soft patch. They just laid the asphalt. So now they have to remove the asphalt and lay the concrete what should have been done in the first place, to lay the asphalt again. Sound like a intentional botch job. The Premier is not to be blamed for this one. He cannot be everywhere, everytime. For peace sake man! and I not a fan of the Premier in the slightest. Kye, do your duty and stop vomplain with nonsense! Begging loan for 38 miles and cannot complete 38 feet. Shameful!
I just want to know which 38 miles of road is to be paved.
Hi @James. Kye did not specify which 38 miles but he said he trying to get funding for 38 miles of critical road. Read paragraph 6 of this article: https://bvinews.com/roads-are-horrible-but-were-doing-our-best-rymer/
Let us know what you find out buddy because meen able.
This is a perfect example of the caliber of intelligence we have leading the territory. You cannot expect improvement when you elect incompetent, corrupt, idiots.
…OK, yeah, sure but please just move on…nothing to see here.
Being Premier is not so worth it. All you end up with is a ton load of stress and head full of gray hair. As it is the men in the BVI look old and worn out
He could equally have said, “Once again, my administration has effed up. Maybe we can do better the next time, maybe not.”
No one knew the water table is high in that area? My 10 year old son could have told them that. Who engineered this project? It’s hard to believe a qualified engineer would not consider the water table in the area prior to commencing works, since it’s, almost literally, a stones throw from the sea. Perhaps the term “qualified” doesn’t apply to the person responsible?
If am not wrong , I believe all there was sea water
Fix it and move it… How feel with a lot of the issues in the bvi. Especially the roads.
Now the premier knows how we feel begging him to get needed things for the country over with instead of patching and temporary fixes
The human race has over 5000 years of experience building roads. Mistakes are no excuse anymore!! Pay the most suitably qualified contractors to do the job and then we can all move on.
DOTY ESTATE ROAD !!!!! APPROX 30 VOTERS FRAZER!! AND EMERGENCY VEHICLE CANNOT PASS FREELY OVERGROWN WITH BUSHES. ELEDER BVILANDER LIVING HERE.