Over $213 million in capital road projects are underway across the island, most of which are to be completed by the end of the year.
The road Improvement and maintenance project, which spans from Bath Estate area to Trafalgar is being done with a $22 million grant from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). DIPCON Engineering of Trinidad have been contracted to carry out the works.
“They (Trinidad firm) are presently completing the works as originally contracted. They are also trying to improve the draining with a shift from earth to concrete drains,” said Chief Technical Officer in the Ministry of Public Works and Ports, Kendell Johnson.
He said the funding for the new drainage aspect of this project is still being sourced since it was not included in the initial grant. He assured however that even with the additional sub-project, works would be completed by the end of this year.
“We are having concerns about the protracted period with the contractor because we encountered quite a bit of difficulties in that we have been unable or find it difficult to close the road because of the tourist,” Johnson said.
He added that his office is working to address the matter and it “should be completed by the end of the year.” This project has been ongoing for the past 18 months.
Meanwhile, there is the Loubiere/Grand Bay road project, which is being constructed at a cost of over $9.5 million. Barbadian Construction Limited C.O. Williams is executing this European Union (EU) funded project. This too is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year, Johnson said.
The West Coast road rehabilitation project, which is being executed by the Chinese government, is also moving along steadily. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit said in his 2010/2011 Budget Address that this is the single largest project both in scope and impact. This project costs about $100 million and spans from Roseau to Portsmouth and is scheduled to be completed within the next 18 months. Officials told Dominica News Online that the project is about 20 percent completed.
Regarding the two-part airport road development project, which is currently being done by contractor Emile Gaddarkan et Fils, Johnson said this too is making notable progress. The first phase, which is also to be completed in the closing months of the year, ran a cost of over $30 million.
The second phase of this project, which was signed on March of this year at $52 million, goes from Pond Casse to Melville Hall (Lot2). “Currently we’re doing the final phase of Lot1 (Cane Field to Pond Casse) and we are hoping that that project is completed towards the end of this year,” Johnson said. He added that the only aspects of this phase of the project outstanding are road surfacing, the instillation of guardrails, and road markings.
The second phase is to last for 20 months and is funded through the Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD). The works involves much excavation, the construction of sea wall structures and rock revetment, bridges and retaining walls and the construction of guardrails to improve road safety.
This particular aspect of the project however is expected to face significant challenges since the new road channels through thick forest terrain and the Public Work’s Ministry anticipates some delay.
Does this improvement include the road all the way to Tete Morne? This Road is expecially bad from Montine to Tete Morne. I understand that due to the fact that the road is only 1 lane any repairs would be a problem, but this is necessary. It is vital for the areas which lead to and from them.
The Government should build a road from Tete Morne to Soufriere thereby providing two means of access. It could also become part of the hiking route. This would give people an alternative route should bad weather, landfalls etc prevent the convention route to be used.
@APG: Right on that…..
@Miami: DNO needs to show more pics with their articles to help readers see the scope of the projects.
By no means i’m i against progress in my country, but can the media include how many dominican construction workers are being employed in this $200 million ec project. It’s seems there’s alot of work being done on the infrastructure but the unemployment rate along with more valuable information is not being mentioned. Too many one sided stories by the media, certainly their investigative skills are lacking.
step it up it’s 2010 more info is needed not just the obvious
What of the Pointe Michel road project, Mr PM?
Certainly not a stimulus package for Dominican economy.
No Dominican companies contracted. Means no local wealth creation.
Wider roads mean more taxes to up keep every inch wider multiply by the length is a much greater tax burden.
Non of these companies have indigenous knowledge in relation to road construction. For example the antrim section is collapsing because the french non tendered company has overloaded by dumping rather than creating drainage. The retaining walls he built are already leaning over as they have no drain holes.
The road to luadat has no step drains.
Dominican engineers are starving many are migrating out as like the truckers they can’t get work.
Isn’t this another Shameful example of an illegal french pm sabotaging Dominicans? .
Where are the pictures of all these projects. The Media don’t take pictures. We want to see pictures of the bathestate project.
@Hugo Grotius: I think the story made it clear that most of these projects are being funded through grants (i think you know what a grant is).
Would you prefer the island’s road network remain in a terrible state on the premise that there is no money and we have to borrow and be in debt? Name a country on this planet that is not in debt. Even the great US of A is in debt. Google it and you will see.
So we secured funding for road rehabilitation for the Roseau Valley area (Bath-Estate to Laudat) but no funding was secured for proper drainage, in an area that receives well over one hundred inches of rainfall per annum. Sounds to me like the newly rehabilitated roads will be washed away when the rains come. What a fantastic piece of project planning, execution and management. Build good roads, ignore funding for drainage. Great Job!! With planning like that, we will soon reach the mountain-top of development here in Dominica. I love our forward thinking planners. Keep it up guys.
The more debt and monetary debasement we have is the more we are forcing the middle class and the
populace as a whole into the arms of government dependence.
Mr jonson thaks for informing we the dominican people especally those living over seas. i must say you all are doing a fantastic job.
Mr jonson one question i would really like to ask and deserve an answer is, what about the Rosalie to PETITE SOUFRIERE road? we are hearing of all other road projects how far they are and when they are going to be completed but nothing about that piece of road.
remember there was ground braking ceremony before the election and since then not a word about it could you please give us an update on that please??????????????????
Wow 191 million debt is that in US currency or EC$, it is moral wickedness to incur debt for the next
generation to pay. So, we incur the debt a trinidadian company profits, and we get roads that will need maintenance in the forseeable future, brilliant.
All u govt do is roads roads roads, debt debt debt..
sounds good hope next timeI come home for a vist that I will be impressed
WOW. THAT IS GREAT PROGRESS FOR DOMINICA. JUST WAITING TO READ ABOUT THE NORTH EAST. WAT ABOUT OUR ROADS.
But what about the roads in Roseau?.. Last year when I was home the roads were still bad in the city. It is good that we try to cover the whole island…But I have not seen anything as per the rehabiliation of Roseau especailly the roads.
It is amazing how good roads can raise the look of an area….evething else seems to fall in place once the roads are improved.
can we get pictures of these projects….
DNO – we need some pictures or some architectural/engineering renditions… most of your readers are not in Dominica. A picture is worth a thousand words…
Public Woks Minstry has just handed Gardhadkan a good reason to delay the works by saying that tyhey expect delays in the project. Any way keep pushing him on. Sly Guy
and the haters will try to convince that nothing is happening in Dominica. May God bless Roosevelt Skerrit and Dominica….