MTW wraps up $35 million road resurfacing programme

The Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW) has officially completed its multi-million-dollar Accelerated Mill and Pave Programme, which began in January. 

The $35 million initiative, aimed at resurfacing roads with deteriorated surfaces across Barbados, concluded on Saturday, August 17, with the completion of Franklyn Doughlin Road in St Andrew.

In all, about 70 roads were resurfaced under the programme. According to the MTW, the roads selected for the project were those that either had utility services already in place or required only minimal upgrades.

Minor remedial works, including drainage improvements and repairs to curbs and sidewalks, are still to be completed at a few locations before the start of the new school year. These works will also address areas where utility work was conducted during the road resurfacing.

Acting Chief Technical Officer of the MTW, Jason Bowen, described the Accelerated Mill and Pave Programme as a strategic effort to maintain and extend the life of the island’s road network.

“The Accelerated Mill and Pave Programme was a strategic maintenance initiative used to improve the pavement surface and protect the subbase in an effort to extend the longevity of the roads,” Bowen explained. “Under the criteria, only roads with deteriorated surfaces that did not require reconstruction or major utility upgrades were considered under the programme.”

While this phase of the programme has ended, the MTW continues its focus on road infrastructure. Work is ongoing on several other projects, including the rehabilitation of 10 roads in the Scotland District under the Scotland District Road Rehabilitation Programme and resurfacing works between Rock Dundo, St James, and Gibbs, St Peter, under the CAF Programme.

Rural parishes are also seeing upgrades to earthen roads under the Community Access Road Transformation (CART) Project. The MTW Paving Unit has also resurfaced residential roads, with recent work completed on Maycocks Road and Date Tree Hill in St Lucy.

MTW is conducting road condition surveys across the island to assess other deteriorated roads, which will help prioritise future roadworks. (SB)