The Ministry of Infrastructure is prioritising improved nighttime visibility along the Millennium Highway and West Coast Road Reconstruction Project, following two recent vehicular incidents on the Cul-de-Sac Road.
Officials say the push includes strengthening reflective signage, barricades and other warning devices to reduce risks for motorists travelling through construction zones after dark.
According to the Ministry’s Project Management Unit (PMU), both incidents involved vehicles entering an open trench on Lot 2A of the project area, which is being managed by contractor Namalco Construction Services Limited. The first incident occurred on the evening of January 6, while the second took place in the early hours of January 7.
The PMU stated that commuter safety remains a top priority throughout all phases of the reconstruction project. Contractors working along the corridor are contractually required to secure hazardous areas and install appropriate traffic management devices, including barricades, reflectors and warning signage. Compliance with these safety requirements is monitored by the PMU.
Following preliminary assessments, the PMU confirmed that the trench areas involved in both incidents were barricaded at the time. However, as the incidents occurred during low-light conditions, concerns have been raised about the visibility of reflective, proper signage and warning elements.
The PMU indicated that it is engaging the contractor to review and strengthen night-time visibility measures where necessary.
The Unit also stressed that road safety within active construction zones is a shared responsibility. Motorists are being urged to exercise caution, reduce speed and remain attentive to signage and barricades when travelling through construction areas, particularly at night. The PMU noted that speeding and inattentive driving significantly reduce a driver’s ability to react safely to road hazards.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to the continuous review and improvement of safety measures and said it will continue working closely with contractors to ensure public safety as construction on the Millennium Highway and West Coast Road progresses.
It is most intresting that the Ministry seeks to address the issue after two accidents.
These issues should have been addressed long in advance by the project management unit of the Ministry entrusted to deal/manage such issues.
The Project consultant and the Project management unit are being paid large sums of money by the government and the Ministry to manage these issues. It has become apparent that there is the absence of supervision by the Chief Engineer over these projects and the contractors.
These type of issues are not new to government road projects. Contractors operate with very little supervision and as such public safety seems to be of little interest to the Ministry of Infrastructure.
Always after the fact! Btw, don’t act like this is the only 2 times this has happened!!!! I can bet that is only after reading this, the Miniistry will now get info on the accident and incident reports on the project. The Minsitry I believe doesn’t understand its role in infrastructure implementation or is incompetent or lacks the staffing numbers execute its mandate. I will never blame the Contractor on such as the contractor has supervisors and “bosses” who should know better and has authority over the contractor to get things done.
Even the blindest bat in the deepest cave in the world know that construction fence (orange) is not reflective at night. That’s a daytime soft hoarding!!! Smh