After years of campaigning by residents, a new road is finally nearing completion in White Hill, St Andrew, restoring a key access route that was cut off by a landslide over a decade ago.
In the early 2010s, persistent rains caused the road linking White Hill to Hillaby to collapse into a ravine. Since then, residents led by spokeswoman Carlitha Andrews have appealed to authorities to rebuild the crucial corridor.
“I am so elated to see what is happening; I am one of the happiest persons alive right now,” said Andrews when Barbados TODAY visited her home. “It was long, but it was worth the wait.”
“Sitting here in my gallery, watching the traffic flow through right behind my house is like a breath of fresh air that I am breathing…. We were waiting long. I was one that was frustrated, but I want to say thanks to the Prime Minister. What we are getting was worth the wait,” she added.
The $8 million project, the first phase of development planned for the rural parish, is being carried out by Chinese government firm COMPLANT.
“Kudos to the Chinese,” said Andrews, praising their work ethic. “They work from 6:30 on mornings, and especially when they were first taking down the trees, they worked to all 11 at night.”
While some residents feel the new road looks narrower than expected, Andrews said the infrastructure appears robust: “The infrastructure that I am seeing is nothing like what we had before, I must say that. It’s a state-of-the-art road that we are getting.”
Nearby resident Anthony Jordan agreed the workers have done “a fairly good job”, though he was uncertain if paving would be finished by the original target date due to weather delays.
He told Barbados TODAY: “It’s just the weather got them in a little trouble. I don’t know if we will get it in June, but they are doing a good job. I heard since last week they will [pave soon], I don’t know if they will pave the Saturday or Sunday, I don’t know. The road is wet and they are [currently] rolling it, but the interpreter told me this morning that they have to put on something first, and then put on the [asphalt].” (SB)
