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Damaged roadway yet to be repaired after nearly four years
It was in October, 2009 that Allen Smith first brought the eroded section of road in the Brady Ghut area of Fat Hogs Bay to the attention of authorities at the Ministry of Communications and Works as well as the Department of Public Works.
“They keep saying [that there is] no funding available,” Smith claimed. He added that a section of roadway near a retaining wall in the Hannah’s Estate area recently highlighted by Virgin Islands News Online has since been rebuilt while other repairs have been done to damaged areas around the Territory even as the roadway remains in the same condition.
The broken section of road hovers above a nearly 20 feet precipice that is likely to crumble at any moment given the continued erosion it faces added to the unavoidable usage of the roadway.
According to Smith, who is also an apartment complex owner affected by the damaged roadway, the erosion first started after a bout of heavy rainfall in the area around the period of time.
The resident claimed that both the current and past Ministers for Communications and Works are fully aware of the situation as well as the area’s District Representative. Smith also stated that he had resorted to sending a report of the issue to the Complaints Commission after seeing no action being taken.
Smith claimed that visitors to tenants in his apartment complex have been forced to park some distance down the road for fear that they may be injured or lose their vehicle. He also reported that he has been unable to carry out remedial works to his property because of the limited access to his building.
Fortunately, there have been no serious reported accidents occurring thus far as a result of the damaged roadway, but this may soon change given the continued neglect that has been meted out.
According to documents seen by this news site, both the Office of the Complaints Commission as well as the Ministry of Communications and Works have responded favourably to the complaint submitted by Smith, promising yet again that necessary financing is being sought to remedy the problem.
A letter signed by Ag. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications of Works, Mr Gary J. Penn on March 31, 2013 states: “I am happy to inform you that the Public Works Department has completed its assessment of the situation and has prepared the necessary structural plans and financial estimates to meaningfully address the remedial and improvement measures to shore-up the collapsed roadway. The Minister for Communications is very much aware of the situation and is seeking the necessary financing to implement the works.”
Notably, traffic cones that previously stood as a warning to motorists have since been removed; however, it remains to be seen whether the promised funding will now be handed out after several false dawns experienced in the past by residents in the area concerning the project.
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22 Responses to “Damaged roadway yet to be repaired after nearly four years”
They need to fix that ASAP then surcharge whoever caused it to happen. People doing bullsh1t on their property and when it goes to sh1t we the taxpayer must pay it. It's dangerous so Government should fix it and surcharge their @$$. Sick place.
Both Governments had ample opportunity to fix the road from Harrigan to Fort Charlotte in the area above Dwight’s apartments. What is the problem? Is there something that the public is not aware of or can’t be told?