DLP demands urgent action over ‘hazardous’ St Peter highway flooding

The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) has demanded immediate government intervention to tackle persistent severe flooding on the KNR Husbands Highway at Heywoods Road, St Peter, warning that public safety is being seriously compromised.

In a statement released on Saturday, DLP Spokesperson on Housing, Transport and Works, Ian Griffith, said moderate rainfall leaves the major thoroughfare submerged under several inches of water. He raised concerns that the issue has noticeably deteriorated since construction commenced on a nearby tourism development.

“This persistent flooding is a matter of public safety,” Griffith warned. “Standing water on a major roadway increases the risk of accidents, damages vehicles, and can impede access for emergency services and the travelling public.”

While acknowledging that a direct link between the new tourism project and the worsening deluge has not been established, the spokesperson insisted that critical questions must be answered regarding the planning and approval process.

“Legitimate questions must be asked as to whether the existing drainage infrastructure was adequately assessed and whether sufficient stormwater management measures formed part of the planning and approval process,” Griffith stated.

With Barbados in the midst of the Atlantic hurricane season, the DLP stressed that delaying corrective action poses an unacceptable risk to residents, businesses, and motorists. The opposition party is calling on the Ministry of Transport and Works to urgently conduct an engineering assessment of the highway’s drainage network and investigate whether the nearby development has altered stormwater flows.

“Preventative action is always more effective and less costly than responding after flooding has caused damage or injury,” Griffith added. “The public should not have to wait until a tropical storm or hurricane exposes weaknesses in our infrastructure before corrective measures are taken.”

The DLP has urged authorities to treat the matter with the utmost priority, confirming they will continue to monitor the situation closely. (PR/RR)