Why wasn’t $14M road surfacing contract given to RDA?
Road Work
Questions surrounding the $14 million road surfacing contract—from the Road Town Ferry Terminal to the West End Ferry Terminal—were thrust into the spotlight on the Talking Points radio show, as hosts Damion Grange and Elvin Grant pressed Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley on why the project is not being spearheaded by the Recovery and Development Agency (RDA).
The contract was awarded to Tortola Paving Company late last year, but some have questioned why the RDA wasn’t engaged, especially with their track record of delivering projects on time with nearly no overruns.
Host Elvin Grant questioned why a project of such magnitude is being handled by a government ministry rather than the RDA, which has traditionally overseen major infrastructure works in the Virgin Islands.
In response, Premier Wheatley said the division of responsibilities between ministries and the RDA is not fixed and is still being worked out. He explained that the government intends to clarify the matter through legislation as it transitions the RDA into the Virgin Islands Development Authority.
“It is not necessarily a set kind of structure in terms of what the RDA will handle and what the ministry would retain,” Dr Wheatley said. He added that while the size of a project can be a deciding factor, the RDA currently has a full slate of projects, and the ministry felt comfortable managing this particular contract.
What about water and sewage?
Grange sought clarity on whether the $14 million contract includes underground water and sewage infrastructure, warning that it would be disheartening to see newly resurfaced roads dug up months later.
Premier Wheatley explained that the contract is primarily for asphalt paving and does not directly include water, sewage or other underground utilities. However, he stressed that supporting infrastructure can still be installed under separate contracts where necessary.
While admitting that underground infrastructure was not considered for the project, the Premier defended the government’s efforts, saying it has become standard practice in road projects to ensure underground utilities are installed ahead of final paving. He cited works at Fish Bay, Hodges Creek and Paraquita Bay, where sewage lines, water lines, telecommunications infrastructure and electrical conduits were placed beneath the roadway before surfacing.
He also credited the RDA for this coordination, saying the agency “did a great job” ensuring different service providers worked together to prevent repeated excavation after roads were completed.
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You fully well know why they don’t want to give it to the RDA. They want to control the money directly.
Umm because Mr. Ritter is more powerful and influential than the RDA?
Omar hodge always said there’s nothing wrong putting your hands in the cookie jar. I’ll leave that right here. Them old heads like Ritter know what that means. Let’s say the old teaching the young old tricks.
And his son is now is at the RDA. Maybe that’s the reason…
One thing ppl gonna do is find a Problem for EVERY SOLUTION……JUS SHUTTT UPPP
Because RDA is a money hog. Over spending and conning everyone to believe they have better abilities than everyone else. I’m agree with “strpss”.
Not RDA if it ends up like the Beef Island Welcome Center! RDA doesn’t have much internal capacity for this civil project. Good question about why the utilities were not part of this project to begin with. Hope all the overhead power lines along the western shoreline are buried for the future.
He doesnt have the money yet but we need a local to buy no matter what…so let the contract roll out. Lol smh poor bvi
In other news…I hear work permits for sale. Funds go towards political campaigns. Ouch, a Mosquito bite me!
If the RDA was responsible for enacting thebuilding of the Welcome Centre st Trellis Bay
Welcome to the brains of the public comfort, aesthetics and vision
Dry weather catered building
No arra to shade from the beautiful midday sun onr the flashing rain
You can almost hear people poop in the bathroom sitting outside on the bleachers
Not even the beauty of a few Greer trees to shade off the blazing sun a d a few shurbs to brighten the area
Is this what RDA can do ? We need serious help
The PWD designed and RDA implemented. The issue is that the RDA has changed a lot and their highly qualified professionals are gone…
Hodges Creek and Paraquita Bay were not handled by the RDA!
U have to AGREE ,because ONE & the same PERSON, just different names / and WE know who loved to write & blood using different names to fool us, U are really a spoiled child – it’s time U grow up n•GGA .
Politricks explaines it all
I just hope one day the roads can be amazing…
May be amazing for 3 months.
All they are going to do is spread some asphalt over the already bumpy road and roll it two times and collect their check. That will make it just a amazing as the one in Paraquita Bay that is under construction for a year and a half now.
I was excited that the road segment from Road Town Ferry Dock to West End Ferry Dock was being reconstructed. But sadly the $14M road project is a maintenance project. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!!! I’m assuming that a condition assessment indicates that the road segment was in good condition, requiring only an overlay. Nonetheless, BVI road users know that the road was not in good condition, requiring reconstruction. Fellow blogger E. Leonard “ consistently notes that the proper fix for a failed road is reconstruction.” I concur with that sentiment. And doing heavy maintenance on a failed road is not the best use of limited/scarce road dollars. What is reconstruction of a failed road? It entails milling the road down to the subgrade, stabilizing the subgrade, relaying a new subbase, if needed, relaying a new base and laying down a new surface course. The awarded project either entails a seal coat, ie, laying down surface course over the existing one or doing an overlay, ie, milling the existing surface course and laying down a new surface course. There is a huge opportunity cost in not performing any needed utility work, ie, water, wasteester, telecommunications, electricity, etc work with this major capital project. What a missed opportunity. This is poor infrastructure work planning. It fits this alliteration: Prior Poor Planning Piss Poor Performance. Another borrowed quote from E. Leonard. Indeed, this project was poorly planned. The blows taken for having to cut into this road in short order is embarrassing and deserving. This contract needs to be terminated for convenience, redesigned with proper drainage, and readvertised. It was not done right the first time, lets us get it right. Road Warrior out……watching, observing .
OK. This fiscal year the BVI estimates to have the largest O&M budget ever. However, in the throne speech why was there no road projects mentioned? It was a throne speech , so how did the Crown contribute to the budget?
@Road Warrior, “ Prior Poor Planning Piss Poor Performance.” This sums up the problem. $14 Million down the drain.
@Road Warrior, terminating the contract for convenience will be a heavy lift, unprecedented action, requiring stones. It will not happen. It should be standard operating procedure procedures to notify utility agencies of any major plan road project , so that they can also install new lines or repair existing lines, if needed. True, there is huge opportunity cost, a missed opportunity. Is condition assessment for this road segment available for review.? Did it say that the segment was in good condition? If so they must be seeing something motorists are not seeing and experiencing.
I’m sure I heard there were water leaks on paraquita bay project. Were new pipes, electricity, sewerage and water, installed for the whole road.
Maybe because the “technical team” at the RDA reminds me of PWD years ago… and that’s concerning!