The Saint Lucia Government’s promised major remedial roadwork is underway in keeping with Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre’s recent announcement.
“We will allocate significant technical and financial resources to road rehabilitation and construction.,” Pierre said in a New Year’s address to the nation.
He had earlier designated 2024 as the Year for Infrastructure.
In keeping with the designation, the Department of Infrastructure’s road maintenance team was in the North of the Island on Saturday at the intersection of Beausejour and Bella Rosa.
Miguel Fevrier, the Communications Officer in the Department of Infrastructure, Ports, and Transport, described the area’s potholes as like ‘little ponds.’
“I know personally because I have to travel there at least four times a day,” Fevrier told St. Lucia Times.
“We understand the plight of the public. I can assure you that from a personal standpoint I bring this up every day within the department,” he stated.
“But understanding the limitations we are facing in terms of financing at this point and also the weather – the weather has been very inconsistent,” Fevrier observed.
He also spoke of emergency repairs that the Department of Infrastructure has to conduct would have hampered its ability to address issues speedily.
However, the department spokesman said that throughout this week, teams have been working in the Mongiraud to Lafeuille area and completed their task on Friday.
Fevrier told St. Lucia Times that late Friday, they began preparing and started work on Saturday at the Beausejour main road, particularly the intersection with Bella Rosa.
The workers encountered a challenge because the plant supplying them with material broke down and Fevrier said the situation might delay the work.
But, he committed to getting the project done as soon as possible.
Fevrier explained that other roadways will receive attention, but the procedure is to ensure the completion of one area before moving on to another.
He also noted that there are drainage issues in the Beausejour area.
Fevrier told St. Lucia Times the issues related to inadequate drains and business owners who built their driveways above the drains, impeding water flows.
He noted that as a result, the water spills onto the road, compromising the road rehabilitation efforts.
“I believe very soon the Ministry will see how we can address that, whether through working with those business owners and the Ministry of Planning,” Fevrier stated.
He indicated this would prevent the premature deterioration of the roadway and extend its life after rehabilitation.
Fevrier asserted that the promised government focus on Infrastructure, including roads, schools, and hospitals, was well underway.
In the North yet again WHAT ABOUT THE SOUTH or have we been forgotten AGAIN 🤔
And who is paying for the damage my vehicle has already sustained?
Awaiting the highgrade to come and blog his low grade talks. These pizza crust roads. When “we love you” trucks pass on the road they patch it looks like goar pooop
Tim tim? Bwa sech!
Blah! Blah!
Il dit qick! il dit qak!
As usual it’s all in the north. Potholes? What about the TWO FOOT deep ravines that traverse Gais Bois Road. The spokes person says his journey will be better. Funny how his road is first on the list, 20 plus years we have been waiting!!!! Repair Gais Bois as a priority before we are cut off.
Hahahaha! Now they désolé! 😂😂😂😂😂
Of course that is up left to st Lucian’s to let politicians fool them 2 years of misery 3rd year election coming soon ha ha ha jokers..
I really don’t understand the Government’s excuse for not carrying out repairs to the roads. How difficult is it to maintain the roads on a regular basis to avoid costs further down the line. Regular maintenance, servicing, inspection is how to keep the cost down. Get it sorted before the problem gets bigger causing inconvenience to all road users, including you Fevrier. You said you use the roads on a regular basis. What foolishness you talking. You see it, feel it, bring it up every day at work and still nothing until now? Might that be, something to do with UK visitors footage perhaps? Now you speedy on it.
Unbelievable excuses and irresponsible language used by Fevrier to describe the potholes as “little ponds”. Always a blame game, the weather, financially issues, supply issues, business owners built their driveway above the drains and on and on it goes. So only now your Infrastructure department has come to realise these challenges? How long does it take to come out and evaluate how business owners are carrying out driveways? Where are the road inspectors who are responsible for ensuring that road management issues are followed out correctly and legally.
So you just let businesses do what they want? And now you have a problem? This is ridiculous. It’s clear as day that the Infrastructure department has neglected its duties to ensure safe roads. Simple as. And you may fool some Lucians, but you not fooling everyone. The state of the roads are shameful, in some places on the Island dangerous and reckless. Dangerously unsafe and its only a matter of time before you have a serious incident. The UK visitors have showed you up, embrassed you on the shocking state of the roads. That picture shown last week should have your department apologing for neglected responsibilities to the general public who have long been calling out for better roads. The responsibility for repairing and maintaining the roads falls on you. Constructing, maintaining, fixing potholes and all other types of road damage. It is your responsibility to provide safe roads.
Don’t come with lame excuses, so typical in Saint Lucia, you allow the business owners to built driveways which you now say are a problem with water drainage. Where are the rules and regulations to give regarding building driveways before these business owners spend their money building a driveway? It’s so ass about face, topsy-turvy. And so The blame game begins. So now your infrastructure department team have to carry out an evaluation and go back to those business owners to tell them….what….your driveway is an obstruction? It’s not built correctly according to road safety and drainage policies?
Road safety is the government’s responsible, infrastructure service department responsibility to ensure the safety of all public buildings and that includes maintenance. servicing and proper inspections to ensure all works are carried out in keeping with ROAD SAFETY policies
and procedures. Whether its SLP, UWP, the responsibility is solely on the government in power. Now before you come for me with political nonsense, I support none, I am neither red, yellow, orange whatever. My opinion is for the slow and unacceptable state of the roads in St Lucia right now. No excuses should be accepted for this embarrassing state of the roads, none whatsoever. So what if rain fall, weather conditions has been in existence since man built roads to travel to get from A to B. Don’t make ridiculous noise and excuses. Rain stop, It soon dry and you get on with it. It’s called Planning.
Now 2024 a news article regarding the state of your roads is in circulation you come out to make excuses. Yet you drive seeing the potholes everyday.
Don’t wait for the embarrassing footage taken by UK visitors to make you proactive. This should have been done along time ago. And obviously, it will cost your Infrastructure department more money because of negligence to maintain and keep roads well maintained.
Make Road safety your top priority this year and every year.
Number one: The entire Beausejour road needs to be torn up and totally reconstructed, PROPERLY! Bring in engineers who know how to construct roads that will last 20 years. Spreading a new layer of asphalt does nothing but put a bandaid on it. Number two: WHEN IS THE GROS ISLET HIGHWAY GOING TO BE COMPLETED??? It is a very dangerour road and so very unsightly. What do all our visitors think as they walk that horrible road? Shame on this government for letting that construction lapse for so long.
Cricket and an election. Good news for roads
I say elections should be every year alot of things would get fix and over fixed. And to add more salt to the wound you know these fools passing on these roads every day with high sports edition vehicles so they don’t feel those bragadangs and play they are on their cell phones to distort attention
Sad state of road infrastructure…but the pic tells alot though…I actually saw a child and adult man operating an excavator in the river near the Caribbean metals Bridge union….a ministry endorsed and supervised project. Waste of time lazy ministry and its policy head!
It’s not sad, you are being too kind. It’s a national disgrace and dangerous hazard to everyone on the road. The poor road conditions cannot accommodate the increase in traffic on St Lucia’s roads. More accidents, more car damage, more frustration, inconvenience, more repairs needed for vehicles.
Fevrier these are not “little ponds” they are a nuisance to all drivers.
Some potholes you encounter are more like craters. Yes, pothole in a pothole. You have to give pothole respect before approaching. that’s how bad it is.
Some soon get christened with names, thats how bad it is. Yea, I pass Jonas today, boy he getting big. Just last month he was that big now, oooh la la he putting on more width. Yes craters, That Saltibus road should no longer be called a road. It’s a crush course waiting for a serious vehicle incident. I christen it 2 names, Duke of Hazard Road and King of Kings Road. Light humour…but this is how serious this road situation is people.
And what about at night, when all you bad sloppy drivers driving right up and too close to car backside. Terrible driving skills, no common sense. learn to keep your distance, so the potholes and craters can be analysed before approaching.
Keep reasonably distance. Jonas ahead. Keep your distance.