Government to address Dubique Cliff concerns

The road under the cliff

Plans are afoot to address the concerns of residents of Dubique and environs as to the increased hazard that the Dubique Cliff poses to motorists and pedestrians traversing the roadway directly underneath it.

In a Dominica News Online article dated August 18, 2011, a bus driver from the area expressed the increasing concerns of residents in the neighboring communities on the matter. The man stated that the area was very dangerous and cited incidents of injuries to people and damage to vehicles that had occurred due to the frequency of land and rock slides in the area.

Minister of Public Works Rayburn Blackmoore has spoken on the issue and has sought to outline some of the plans that the Government is set to take to tackle the problems it poses, which could include shelving the cliff and widening the road.

Blackmoore said, “We are very much concerned as a government with the Dubique area. The frequent slides are a concern for us. We are doing the necessary investigations and the surveys and as a matter of priority we should proceed to do the necessary shelving in the area.”

The minister mentioned that the works will be an extensive and possibly an expensive undertaking but the Ministry will have completed the surveys and investigations by today and should have the estimates and the quantities for the undertaking.

“There are other options that we are looking at, building a seawall and widening the road, but even if we were to build the seawall, you would still be confronted with the existing threat from the failure of the cliff. So we feel that the priority should be to address the tremendous risk that the cliff poses to both vehicular traffic and pedestrians. So we are well on our way to getting a solution for that,” Blackmoore concluded.

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17 Comments

  1. southcityboy
    September 23, 2011

    Why don;t we do the research and find out that plans were in place during Freedom time

  2. Anonymous
    September 23, 2011

    Put the Chinese on that and they will solve that

  3. Observer
    September 22, 2011

    This comment may be a little out-of-the-box, but I believe serious consideration has to be given to relocating, and putting land use regulations in place to that people don’t live in these disaster-prone areas. It cost the Dominica government too much to try to undertake major projects for the access of a few- This does not necessarily apply to Dubique – (although I passed through there once and hardly noticed a house- might have missed the main part of the village)

    • Pill
      September 23, 2011

      The road doesn’t only benefit the people of Dubique.. The people from Stowe, Bagatelle, Fond St Jean, Petite Savanne, Delisces use this road every day..That’s the main road for people from this area to get to town.

  4. DominicaFirst
    September 22, 2011

    A short Tunnel Is the Best Option. Make it happen Black…

    • G.I Joe
      September 23, 2011

      Tunnelling is a very costly option. Terracing the cliff would more than likely solve the problem. Then they could plant grass on the bare cliff face to hold back the soil.

  5. concern
    September 22, 2011

    no matter how the authority may choose to solve that problem it will be a costly venture because of the height of the cliff in comparism with other cliffs you may have seen around dominica
    the best option to be is to go through the cliff and move away from the sea which constantly posses a fret just as bad as the slides
    people think thatt the problem is affecting dubicans only
    learn about your map and see who is affected
    well there are people in dominica who do not know dubique well get to know
    please get’ engin todays’ and not ‘engin ‘yesterdays’ engineers

  6. Abby
    September 22, 2011

    Papa! Tragedy happen under that cliff already, but it never fix. RIP Mr. Skeffington Fontaine, twice that cliff fall on your transport yet you survived and only died 2 years ago. When the cliff fall I will stay home…But I swear, if DNO chose another picture people would really see how bad the cliff looks. I mean the potholes so deep, you want to drive fast, but at the same time you damaging your vehicle…

  7. Woodfordhill girl
    September 22, 2011

    let’s face it ,Dominica is a very mountainous Island,like someone said we really need good engineering to undertake this project,as far as I can remember lots of areas on the north are scary to travel,gov please do something!

  8. September 22, 2011

    THERES MANY SOLUTION,THIS IS A JOKE COMPEAR PLACES I HAVE SEEN SPECIAL IN THE FRENCH ISLANDS THE PROBLEM IS DOMINICA DOESNT HAVE THE FUNDS, AND U GUYS SCARED THE SEA,REASON WHY THE SEA ARCHIEVED LANDS IN DOMINICA.I VISITED MARTINIQUE LAST YEAR PLACES I HAD KNOWN WAS SEA NOW IS HIGHWAYS SO WE JUST DOESNT HAVE THE DOLLARS.

  9. Sout Man
    September 22, 2011

    “Shelving the cliff”; I’d like to see that happen on this cliff! That would be an engineering feat!

    • Anthony P. Ismael
      September 22, 2011

      You need to drive to the South East Peninsula in St. Kitts to see what the US Army Crops of Engineers did there. That too was an engineering feat. It can be done. Just look at that corner past Jimmit who ever thought this corner could be so wide? It was done. Back Road Bath Estate was done also.

  10. Dubique767
    September 22, 2011

    I am glad to see that some attention is being paid to this. I hope this is not words to be left dangling like those empty promises made by every administration that has been in power. The words are familiar. It is not only the residents of Dubique who will benefit from this (if the promises are followed through). Residents from Petite Savane, Fond St. Jean, Bagatelle; and likewise, those heading from north to south, will all be beneficiaries of an improved roadway.

    Remember Stanley Fadelle? That man drove under these same cliffs, and didn’t do a thing about them. Imagine your child walking under those cliffs – come shine or rain – in search of an education at the Grandbay School.

    Being jaded of past promises undelivered, I will not hold my breath.

  11. fatty batty
    September 22, 2011

    DO something before something happens we have to have the resources but please try i saw great improvement on the west side.may god be with u all.

  12. hmmmmm
    September 22, 2011

    so long for allu to do that

  13. Anthony P. Ismael
    September 22, 2011

    Residents of Dubique will be safer when rehabilitation to this road is complete. I still can’t believe this is an actual road.

  14. Pill
    September 22, 2011

    It’s about time they do something about that Dubique road..This road is so dangerous, every day people who use this road risk their lives under this cliff..Rocks are always falling, even on a sunny day..
    Please Please do something before a tragedy happens!

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