Minister for Infrastructure, Ports and Transport, Stephenson King has apologised to the public for the inconvenience caused by delays in the Chaussee Road Rehabilitation Project, citing complex challenges as the main reason for the prolonged work.
During Monday’s pre-Cabinet press briefing, King acknowledged that the project, which started more than six months ago, has been “difficult”.
Chaussee Road is one of Castries’ main thoroughfares, connecting several inner-city communities to the busy city centre. The ongoing roadworks have exacerbated traffic jams in and out of the city.
Acknowledging public frustration over the slow pace of the work, Minister King said: “I apologise to the motoring public and the pedestrian public also, for the inconvenience caused. We understand the concern, but we’re doing all in our power and effort to get the road to normalcy.”
He explained that the road contains several utility lines, including water lines of varying sizes, sewer lines, and communication and electricity cables, which made the work more complicated. King further noted that the need to replace a 14-inch water line due to frequent leaks and ruptures added $2.6 million to the project cost.
The infrastructure minister added that contractors had to work meticulously to avoid damaging these critical utility lines.
“So quite a bit of that has taken place over the period of time to try and get it right, to get the connections to avoid any mishap,” he said.
Additionally, 96 manholes along the stretch had to be either constructed or reconstructed and adjusted to the new pavement level.
King said contractors are now moving into the next phase, which involves laying the base and conducting pressure tests on the new water lines “to make sure that the new lines are resilient enough to withstand whatever pressures that they’re going to put in there”.
The Chaussee Road Rehabilitation Project is part of the government’s Year of Infrastructure 2024 initiative, which aims to revitalise critical infrastructure across the island.
Gross incompetence at every level in this country. I’m surprised it hasn’t fallen into pure anarchy yet. Every bad decision by every politician is a cost to the taxpayer and a drain on future generations.
Everything the Minister cite as reasons for the delay are things that are usually part of this type of project. Project scoping should have identified these issues; the project budget should have anticipated them; the project plans and specifications should have addressed them; the contract procurement, which includes, time and costs, should have highlighted them. That is how civil infrastructure projects are usually handled.
Man just making excuses as if all these issues just magically appeared out of thin air!!! This project could’ve have been completed before year end had another contactor be handed this . How can a project so delicate, so important be executed during 8am to 5pm? What kinda stoopidness is this? This is a major artery like king rightfully said. There is no way that it should be run during normal working hours…there should be night shifts on this. I am sure the price is highly inflated and it can pay for overtime and double time. All this failed road projects have one common factor….a lazy man!
With him as the Minister of Infrastructure, i cud see now why there are such delays. I remember his days as an incompetent PM back in the late 2000s.
I agree with anonymous, anyone in civil engineering would know exactly what is buried beneath their feet, common sense?
INFRASTRUCTURE Mmmmm
A whole of b…… being split out of as excuses for the infant child can describe as incompetence to the max!
I concur with all other comments.
Mr. King I would like you to ask Dr. Hilaire, why he didn’t start the Baton Relay from the Police Station at Marigot instead the top of the Marigot Hill. Is it because he didn’t want the camera to highlight the condition of the road? I am just enquiring, because the road is the worst in the island now.
King just finish the project. There will always be some kind of delays and cost overruns doing infrastructure projects or upgrades. Two many overnight civil engineers here commenting on something they know nothing about. Castries conduits are so old what do they believe oh you are just going to to dig pave and it’s a rap. Sir, just Make sure you add fiber optic cables for a modern city to accommodate tomorrow’s technological challenges and advances they will never understand. Prepare that road for tomorrow’s St Lucia that will have to adhere to 2060 technology and beyond when it comes if this to be called our capital we must look beyond the status code of being a modern city. It would be pointless to rush and build for today 2025 because of people’s impatience, this is why St Lucia is always behind, some people are still building 1980’S houses.