BVI News

Ministry runs out of $$ to complete Anegada road repairs, awaits next budget

File photo of a section of public road on Anegada. (Photo by Esther Durand BVI News)

As the election seasons heats up, road improvement projects on Anegada are now halfway complete but have reached a standstill because the Ministry of Public Works has run out of funds to continue.

Permanent Secretary in the ministry Anthony McMaster told BVI News on Friday that additional funds have been requested in the next budget so the project can resume.

That budget will be read after the February 25 general elections when the new government begins its term.

Work already done

McMaster, in the meantime, said most of the work done so far is focused on the main road by the Flamingo Lookout.

“There were sections of the bridge [there] that was virtually collapsing and we were able to repair them,” he said, adding that ‘quite a bit of the road’ have also been repaired by the island’s administration complex.

“Some repairs were also done jointly with the private sector to the cargo dock at Setting Point Jetty,” McMaster added.

He said that undertaking included improvements to what he described as the ‘bulkhead section’ which allows a smoother operation for vessel owners and operators.

The permanent secretary said the ministry also managed to begin works on Anegada’s northern road beginning from the agricultural station to Loblolly Bay.

“That whole road will be able to give a smoother ride. [But] we are hoping to continue to pave as much of that road as possible and hopefully with the passage of the budget, we will get some funds so we could continue the work,” McMaster said.

The project lasted roughly three months before funding ran dry.

Last October, McMaster said the ministry had started road repairs more than two years ago from the Setting Point Jetty to an area known as Pinnacle Point.

However, due to ‘budgetary constraints’, those works ended prematurely.

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23 Comments

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  1. Wow says:

    This PS is the biggest waste of time in the history of BVI Government. I cannot wait for elections to be over and he is out of there. We deserve so much better.

    Like 10
    Dislike 1
    • 9th District Citz. says:

      SOO IT GOING TAKE YALL FOUR 4 YEARS TO FIND MONEY AND FINISH THE D**N ROAD!??

      TELL ME, BECAUSE It’s been 4 years

  2. ndp heckler says:

    No!!!! don’t tell me that the 15 million$ we borrowed from social security to fix all roads in the BVI finished already???

    Like 10
  3. E.Leonarndo says:

    The NDP (No Da*n Plan) spent ALL of our money before we could even repair the road.

    The $1.5m that was spent on the school wall and the $7.2M spent on the airline could have been better spent here.

    How can they plan to spend $350M for a new airport terminal before they fix our road?

    Like 12
    Dislike 2
    • CW says:

      Think. Airports bring tourists and their dollars. Roads needs those dollars to be completed. Order of operations.

      • Think says:

        Effective marketing bringeth tourists

      • LMAO says:

        Say What? We don’t need an airport. Our priorities should be:

        1) Put out the fire at the dump and create a plan to deal with our garbage. (We don’t want to expose more tourists to the toxic waste that we are burning.)
        2) Fix our sewers to prevent a public health crisis. (We don’t want tourists to be exposed to this toxic smell – they won’t come back.)
        3) Fix our schools. Our children deserve a better chance.
        4) Fix our roads.
        5) Fix our poor utilities. Our electricity is too unreliable.
        6) Fix our internet. It is too expensive, unreliable and toooooo slooooo.

  4. Hmmm says:

    No one care about the business on the North side. Focus on the school, clinic and ferry dock.

    Like 3
    Dislike 6
    • Ollie says:

      Everything broke. We need to fix things. The NDP forgot us.

    • Anegada Citizen says:

      They need to focus on the school and the clinic and the lights on the runway.

      Th school don’t have any sort of supplies, snaitary or administrative. The school has been without a photocopier for over three years… The clinic in bad need of repairs. They had a renaming ceremony on 21 January in honour of Nurse Romalia Smith and the fence was delapated and the pain can’t find words to say. This NDP Government had never had the sister islands best interest at heart especiall Anegada the one far north.

      Like 3
      Dislike 1
  5. government heckler says:

    which ever or who ever get in come Election Day, fix the roads in the country not just your “district” *

  6. Really!!! says:

    How long we been waiting for the road to be complete? How many times we been promised? But I see all kind of road construction all over Tortola cause it’s Election Season! Again, where is our Representative when we need him…SMH…

  7. Anegada cry says:

    A down right shame..
    We are the cows and donkey over here.. who cares about us..
    And yes you all fixed the one part of the road by the flamingo lookout..
    But what the other side. Oh wait no one notice that it’s going bad too..

    Only around this time you all remember a place call Anegada.

  8. Corruption rules says:

    Investigate “A—- Man” V——-. He put his hands in the cookie jar to make sure he could feed his santo projects…

  9. Vibes says:

    Every election time they pave the roads even the day before elections only to be dig up days after i noticed that last elections just to fool people and the people were really fooled I’m watching this time around

  10. Wow says:

    Consider yourself lucky Anegada. Fresh water on the road, Wow! Don’t waste it.

  11. anything goes in the BVI says:

    bertee is a waste ah time

  12. Disgrace says:

    To God be the glory! If and when all the roads up here are finished I wonder what our so call government going to promise us! NDP need to get out! Promised the roads to be completed before they got in and election time again and we still waiting to see it! Tricks that’s all

  13. Anegadian says:

    This is news? Seriously? Every four years is when the 2nd largest island of the BVI is noticed….every four years politicians, and district rep ‘hopefuls’ grace our shores with empty promises, only to be neglected for the 3.5 years toward the following election. The first lamp pole with electricity was donkey years ago when Big Bamboo first opened and the owners were who PAID for that to happen! No Government did that but all would like to come now and reap the benefits of what Anegadians did for themselves. Mind you, it’s not to sound grateful. We are thankful yes for the roads to be paved but my goodness, one road has been paving since I was in diapers. How big is Anegada again? And what about the cultural center where we had meetings, graduations and the SENIORS of our community could go and get a hot meal and play games in air condition for a few hours? Our seniors now have NO where to go, no hot meal, nothing. Our current district representative said that we don’t have the population SIZE to warrant a hospital over here. Ok. So rotate doctors then? Is it such a hard thing to do? What a waste of a representative. Wait your WHOLE life to get elected, you get in and you didn’t do not one damn thing for Anegada. To this day, you still sending my DECEASED grandparents Christmas cards. That’s how in touch with this community you are. Not my vote this year Sir. Not at all. Vincent, Jose, you guys better step up to the plate whichever of you get elected. We do NOT want any more EMPTY promises. We do NOT want any more Photo Opportunities to drive YOUR campaigns. We want SOLUTIONS and we want them NOW!!! Believe me when I tell you that we will no longer go quietly into the Night, we will BLAST you if you are not doing anything DURING YOUR TERM IN OFFICE! We will march like the late Theodore Faulkner and boost your asses OUT if you do not come correct!

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
    • Anegadian says:

      What have you done for your community ? Have you ever taken time to volunteer any service to the school?
      When was the last time you humbly assisted an elderly in your community? Some of you by pass them. Like they are not alive, but hear you speak so passionately about what the government haven’t done.

      Smh .

      Like 1
      Dislike 1
      • To Anegadian says:

        You sound bitter in spirit and soul. You know not what others have done for their community and you come on here judging guised as asking. Let me help you. Not EVERYONE that helps their community sounds the alarm as to what they are doing, have done and continue to do. Help comes in many forms. Yes, I speak PASSIONATELY because I am just that, PASSIONATE about EACH and EVERY Anegadian, young, old, rich, poor. We ALL suffer from the same issues: Lack of medical health care, improper roads, expense of traversing to and from the main land to conduct banking, shopping, etc. Have I assisted in my community? Yes, beyond a shadow of a doubt I continue to. Do I assist the elderly? EVERY Anegadian (to my knowledge) that have grown up in the Theodore Faulkner era, learnt to assist the elderly. I learnt to carry groceries, assist them walking across the street or give them a ride when and where necessary. I pass NO ONE without a greeting. I see EVERY Anegadian as my EQUAL. No one bigger or better. We are ALL HUMAN and in need of the basic HUMAN rights and courtesies. To you Sir/Madam: I bid good day. I think that your heart means well. And perhaps when you see how our community have evolved over the years, it grieves your heart. But it’s never productive to try to hurl insult or accusations toward others, especially those whom you have no knowledge of. Good day.

  14. Willie says:

    Lololol….the pasture has to be greener on the other.????

  15. CW says:

    These comments show why BVI is a backwater. You lack perspective and understanding. You complain and you whine but never offer solutions. You are your own enemies. SMH

    Like 3
    Dislike 2

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