Infrastructure Minister Stephenson King has acknowledged that Saint Lucia’s road network is in a ‘terrible state’ because of ‘persistent inclement weather’.
“We have seen that for the last six months,” the former Prime Minister told reporters on Tuesday.
King spoke on the sidelines of a meeting of the House of Assembly.
He said there is a plan to address the road situation.
“For example, over the weekend, we worked throughout the weekend. We don’t normally work over the weekend. Throughout the City of Castries we attended to the roads. We did some work on the Morne road,” King told reporters.
“The Millennium Highway is under construction, and that is in the hands of C.O. Williams,” he disclosed.
King said his Ministry insisted that the company maintain the road because, under the agreement with the construction firm, once they have taken possession of the road, they have to maintain it until its completion.
“The West Coast road we’ll be commencing hopefully soon. The bridge in Canaries will be commencing in February and the balance of the road – two packages – will commence any time from now,” the Minister stated.
He said the contract had been awarded.
“The Gros Islet to Cap Estate road, we have finally signed a contract with a local contractor. That road will be reconstructed. The road is fatigued – no amount of repairing, potholing, nor any attempt to stabilise the surface of that road will hold,” King told reporters.
And regarding the Castries-Gros Islet Highway, King explained that due to the findings of a review of the construction of the Rodney Bay section, there was reason to deliberately delay any progress to facilitate a redesign and further forensic investigation.
King said that other major works are in the pipeline and Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre would make the announcement.
“It’s a major road network redevelopment in the country and we’re hoping the weather will give us some time to be able to do that,” he stated.
You are not tell the truth. However, the truth will fine you out.
King will blame all of it on the weather but had he not play politics and delay the repairs just to hurt Chastanet some of the roads would not be in this deplorable condition. He started on the roads extremely late after the election when he was minister of infrastructure under the last administration. So there is no excuse for this. He failed miserably.
I pray that he is being honest. I’m for St. Lucia not government and I don’t care who is in power as long as they are held to account and do their job. So with regard to this I’m hoping that he delivers on his promises.
Sir, I believe you are well intentioned and can do an even greater job if you find the courage to add authorative disposition to your attributes. The godly man becomes communistic in nature simply because he controls all that happens around him. As the client (GOSL) i don’t understand why you can’t issue a stop-work-order to the contractor and demand that the roads be fixed at cul-de-sac/millenium highway. This is the type of strong leadership we require from those elected. This is what we will be getting very soon i am afraid.
What compensation is there for many of us whose vehicles have gotten damaged, loss value due to rapid depreciation not to mention the humongous maintenance costs plaguing us due to atrocious road conditions. Talking is not helping us! You require vehicles to be road worthy to be able to drive here yet the roads are not vehicle worthy and costing us! I am tired of all the useless chatter from this government. I regret voting for y’all, honestly!
Who are you trying to impress? “we worked over the week end…..we don’t normally work over the weekend…..” 0h really?
“once they’ve taken possession of the Road, they have to maintain it until completion. (but who is watching this, the Ministry or the Contractor themselves?) he said emphatically “The contract has been awarded” yeh but what follows?
In other words – you have been given a contract, go right ahead, do the job – is it as easy as that? You are indeed the politician who accepted “the higher bidding” and what if tomorrow someone offer you a better deal since you maybe on sale?
God help us for the politicians we choose/the administration we trust. Better trust in God.