Major work on minor roads coming

The Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW) is set to spend almost $33 million to repair minor roads across the island.

This was revealed by Senior Minister Kirk Humphrey, who disclosed that close to 50 roads in residential areas had already been identified.

Speaking at the Barbados Labour Party’s St Michael West branch meeting at the St Leonard’s Boys School on Sunday, Humphrey said 30 cart roads were also being considered for repairs.

“That is a total of $32.5 million in works on roads that we’re going to be doing.

“My own personal view is that we will continue to do the highways and the large roads, but we have to fix the roads where people live, the roads that when you step out of your house you are in a puddle, the corner roads, the community roads and the cart roads. Those are the roads that I am most eager to be able to repair,” Humphrey maintained.

“…We will do the highway. For example, our commitment as a government is to extend Highway 2A to four lanes and to begin that work before the end of the year. We are currently seeking to get the designs for that work…but my commitment is to do a lot of the smaller roads. So if you have a very small road and it is in terrible condition, then let us know, and we promise to put it into the schedule and to come back and do the roads.”

Humphrey said those road repairs were among several upcoming initiatives being carried out by MTW, including improvements to the Constitution River Terminal, a drain clearance drive, and the installation of speed bumps near some schools.

In announcing the plans, Humphrey said his ministry was also focused on broader projects designed to improve the daily lives of citizens.

He described the River Road terminal as “a mess” which needed urgent attention.

“I believe that we have to upgrade the River terminal. Water gathers, stagnant water. The place looks like a shanty town. That’s not how Barbadians are supposed to live or work. 

“And so if you know me, you know that I already determined that we’ve got to fix the way down there looks. If you want people to behave properly, you’ve got to give them a proper place to work. You want a man to behave properly, give them proper places to live. That is how we’re going to approach these things,” Humphrey said.

Humphrey said it was also necessary to place personnel to monitor the area to ensure that public service vehicle operators were following the rules.

“So we have to put a stronger workforce there to be able to manage the roads, because if you get it wrong in the van stands you can definitely get it wrong on the roads. Van stands are the one place where you should have the staff to be able to monitor what is going on there,” he maintained.

Noting that the start of the hurricane season was less than two weeks away, Humphrey revealed that the clearing of major drains had already commenced, with work set to be ramped up soon. He also used the opportunity to encourage Barbadians to take responsibility for those within their neighbourhoods wherever possible.

“On the eve of hurricane season I want to remind Barbadians that we also have a responsibility to try at least to clear the drains close to our house or with your community group,” Humphrey stated.

During the meeting, several residents pleaded for the placement of speed bumps in some areas to protect children and other pedestrians from speeding vehicles, a matter that Humphrey gave his assurance would be addressed.

Lamenting that the lack of these in some districts had been an issue of frustration for him for many years, he said “I don’t know why MTW took the view that they didn’t want humps. I can understand you don’t put humps on the major roads because you don’t want to slow down traffic, but especially near schools, sometimes near churches where people live, it just makes sense to do humps. This is a conversation I have already had, so you are going to start seeing a lot of humps being done again in communities.”

(JB)