The only notice that the road is impassable is this sign and persons would have to turn back and use the longer route. No notice was put out by the Public Works Department to alert commuters to the development, as the respectful thing to do. Photo: VINO

Attempts to ease the stress on vehicles and pedestrians saw rocks being placed in this section of the road which was one of the worse parts of the road. Photo: VINO

Residents and commuters of a key road network in the Long Look/Nottingham Estate areas are desperately calling for help as they are made to endure a number of challenges and hardship without allegedly being given any notice ahead of a main thoroughfare being dug up. Photo: VINO

Over a week ago, persons were surprised to learn that they were not allowed to commute the route during the main part of the day for almost a week and now the road has been left open to the public but in a very deplorable state. Photo: VINO

Many commuters of the key road in the Eastern end of the island of Tortola would have had to turn back and use the long way to get to their destination as they would have been greeted by the ‘road closed, men at work sign’’. That of course would have been those persons whose vehicles were high enough to wad its way through the badly tattered road which is in a really bad state.

For those who were trekking the long path, this would be their only notice that very soon they should be able to resort to using the regular road again as the recommencement of the works came without any notice. It was by divine leading that our reporter decided to pass through the area late yesterday afternoon January 20, 2014, when it was observed that the repairs had recommenced. A nearby resident confirmed that it was only yesterday January 20, 2014, that the work started and that it has been closed to all vehicular traffic.

The road was ripped up without notice to residents, close to Christmas in December 2013 and left in an impassable state for several weeks. Via this media and other forms, commuters and residents had sought answers as to why the road was left in that state and when works would have resumed. They got no positive response from the Public Works Department of the Ministry of Communications and Works, its Minister Honourable Mark H. Vanterpool, nor their District Representative who is also the Deputy Premier and Minister for Natural Resources and Labour, Dr the Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering.

However, today most are happy that the work has begun to take shape and it is their fervent hope that it is not abandoned again but would be completed within a reasonable time.

See previous story published on January 15, 2014:

UPDATE: EE/LL road further deteriorating, officials dodging calls!

EAST END/LONG LOOK, VI – Valiant efforts by this news media and several persons who suffer the agony of commuting through the ‘ripped up’ road in Long Look, East End, continue to bear no fruits as answers are being sought about the state of the road.

As was previously reported by this news site, shortly before the Christmas holiday last year, key stretch of roads which link the Long Look and Nothingham Estate communities were nastily ripped up and left in a deplorable state. 

The unbearable condition of the road has resulted in serious damage to vehicles, physical hurt to children and has stagnated the movement of some senior citizens in the community. 

Over the past weeks, and as recent as yesterday January 14, 2014, this news site has been trying to make contact with the Public Works Deparment of the Ministry of Communications and Works, all to no avail. Several messages were left at the office of head of the Public Works Department Mr. Jeffery M. Skelton, with no response. Also, repeated calls to the responsible Minister, Honourable Mark M. Vanterpool, have yielded no response. 

Many persons, who have no choice but to traverse the route daily, have complained to this news site that their efforts to get answers have also been failing. “Even the Minister that lives right over there (Deputy Premier and Minster for Natural Resources Dr. The Honourable Kedrick D. Pickering who is also the Seventh District Representative) can’t give us an explanation as to what the heck is going on with this road and this is utter nonsense,” said an obviously angry road user. 

As the days and weeks go by, the state of the road continues to get worse. However, yesterday, it has been noted that some unknown persons or contractor attempted to ease the pains of users of the road by dropping a few rocks in a section of the road that had quickly development into a ‘crater’, as named by one commuter. 

Some dirt material was also sprinkled along a section to attempt to assist especially front wheel drive and small vehicles which suffer the worse effects. “But this is not even a stop gap thing, do this now and you’ll have to do this again this weekend because it’s just not anything close to alleviating the problem,” said a resident who lives close by.

This news site will continue to pursue answers.

See previous story published on December 20, 2013:

State of LL/Nottingham Estate road upsetting commuters

NOTTINGHAM ESTATE, Tortola, VI – Residents and commuters of a key road network in the Long Look/Nottingham Estate areas are desperately calling for help as they are made to endure a number of challenges and hardship allegedly without being given any notice ahead of a main thoroughfare being dug up.

“Help! Help! Help! We want help now,” screamed an upset resident of the Nottingham Estate area. The woman’s loud cries were supported by several others who said they feel violated and forced to deal with a situation that has many negative spin off effects.

“No notice on the TV, no notice on the road, no notice nowhere, no notice, they just come and dig up the whole place and gone…,” chipped in another resident.

“Not even a sign to say approach with caution, or men at work or nothing. Pickering (Deputy Premier and 7^th District Representative) he live right over there, right over there…right over there and look what going on over here...,”  the resident further said.

Over a week ago, persons were surprised to learn that they were not allowed to commute the route during the main part of the day for almost a week and now the road has been left open to the public but in a very deplorable state.

“This make sense, no, this doesn’t make any sense and if we cry out too loud they will leave it more longer because they say everything we like to run to VINO for but there is where we get our voices heard. People got the right to know what happen and not this hush, hush thing,” said another female resident of the area.

“All hour of the day, all hour of the night you can hear heavy screeching of vehicles because they get stuck, children crying because they slipping and falling, people can’t properly access their own yard and things like that and the Minister tell me he don’t know anything about the road,” the same woman alleged.

“This is no longer a road, this is a dam, totally the stupidest thing to do in the middle of a rainy season,” said yet another commuter.

While attempts to contact the contractors were unsuccessful, persons said they observed a number of familiar contractors involved in what they described as “a rush up thing”. They declined to release names.

Repeated efforts to reach Dr Pickering, 8th District Representative Hon. Marlon A. Penn and Director of Public Works Department Mr Jeffrey Skelton for comments were not successful.

Last checked today December 20, 2013 the road was opened to traffic, however, the state of the road still has persons fuming.

“My God they going….my darn car. There is no sign any place or I wouldn’t come through here! It makes no sense to turn back cause I already in the heart of it. This is messed up man, people don’t think?” said a motorist as he slowly made his way through the road en-route to Nottingham Estate.