St Lucy folk frustrated by delayed repairs but MP assures relief coming

For more than two years, residents of Grape Hall, Crab Hill, Cole’s Cave and nearby districts in St Lucy have been left to endure hazardous driving conditions after water main installation works destroyed their main road—yet, despite repeated complaints and assurances, comprehensive repairs have yet to begin.

What was once a smooth, serviceable stretch began to deteriorate rapidly after the laying of new water mains in response to the parish’s brown-water crisis, as villagers endured murky water from their taps.

Since then, the road has been plagued by deep potholes, flooding and dust, with only occasional patchwork repairs that residents say are quickly undone by the constant traffic.

At Grape Hall, Deborah Cumberbatch, 69, knows every bump and depression in the road by heart.

Living with arthritis and swollen feet, and under doctor’s orders to stay off them, her daily trek to and from her home is made worse by the deplorable condition of not only the main road but also her yard, which has been subject to flooding from rainwater run-off.

“This road was okay, but after they did works around the area, it became bad,” she said.

“Everybody began using this road, and it got worse and worse. The rainwater runs straight into my yard. Once in a while, they come and put down some black tar, but that can’t help. The road really wants doing.”

When heavy rain falls, she said, her yard becomes an extension of the street as water rushes in unchecked.

“Everybody complain but nobody getting any response,” she added, noting that the deterioration has been going on so long it has almost become accepted as the norm.

Her neighbour Penny Evans-Persuad shared similar frustrations, saying the problem extends beyond potholes that turn the road into a hazard every time it rains.

“When the rain falls, it floods, and when vehicles pass, the water damages the paint on the house,” she said, pointing to mud stains on her walls.

“If you’re dressed, you can’t stand outside because you’ll get splashed straight on the good clothes you have. Not even the minibus wants to pass sometimes because of the condition when it rains.”

Over in Crab Hill, the main thoroughfare, which Barbados TODAY mistook for an alternate route, bears the scars of repeated patchwork and erosion.

Standing near a pothole filled with muddy water, resident Tom Jones said that while flooding is an issue, the bigger problem for him comes in the dry months.

“There is a lot of dust here. I’d like to see the road blocked because if it’s blocked off, somebody will come and tell you something. Right now, nobody ain’t telling you nothing,” he said.

“The pipe mains have been in operation for a while now, so I don’t know what the hold-up is to fix back the road.”

At neighbouring Cole’s Cave, the dust problem is equally frustrating. Elderly resident Marlene Hinds was spotted mopping her veranda, a chore she said she has to repeat several times a day.

The three communities are connected by the same main road in St Lucy, meaning residents in all areas are dealing with the same set of problems, whether it’s dodging deep holes, coping with dust clouds or dealing with splash-back from passing vehicles.

Responding to the mounting complaints, Member of Parliament Peter Phillips acknowledged the state of the road and the frustration it has caused.

He said tenders for the project have been returned and a contract will soon be awarded by the Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW).

Phillips promised the repair will not be a “short-term or quick fix” but a proper reconstruction that includes improved drainage to prevent the same issues from happening again.

“I understand and I’m very sympathetic to the fact that it is taking a while,” he told Barbados TODAY.

“Proper planning should have been in place but residents can rest assured the road will be properly fixed.”

He explained that the Barbados Water Authority carried out the initial work last year to lay new mains as part of urgent measures to address the brown-water problem affecting households across St Lucy.

That project involved digging up the road to install the pipes, after which the surface was meant to be reinstated.

However, he admitted the process was “rushed” and not handled in the best way.

“The method in which the whole project was approached could have been much better, hence we have the situation we have now,” Phillips said.

“I have had a conversation with the relevant entities and, going forward, I do not anticipate that it will happen in the way that it has happened this time around… I apologise on behalf of the government for the inconvenience to pedestrians and motorists. Sorry it has taken that long, but rest assured that it will be addressed.” 

shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb