The Ministry of Transport, Works and Water Resources will host a public Zoom meeting on the nine roads chosen for the Global Roads Project, of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Road Rehabilitation and Improving Connectivity of Road Infrastructure Programme, on Thursday, October 28, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
The meeting may be accessed via this Zoom link. The meeting ID: 818 1755 4585 and passcode: 005136.
Over the past 15 years, Barbados has faced a rapid change in traffic patterns, due to the increasing number of motor vehicles on the roads affecting traffic flows and patterns. The growing volume of traffic on the roads, especially at peak periods, is a cause of increasing public concern.
The main objective of the IDB Road Rehabilitation and Improving Connectivity of Road Infrastructure Programme is to improve the quality of Barbados’ road infrastructure, in order to enhance tourism competitiveness.
It is expected that the operation will contribute to sustainable growth in the Barbados economy, through interventions to rationalise and improve public sector efficiency and by supporting private sector development, through greater involvement in the transport sector.
Nine roads have been proposed for rehabilitation and improvement of infrastructure, using economic, social and environmental criteria. The nine roads are ABC Highway Phase Three – Norman Niles Roundabout (Haggatt Hall) to Clyde Walcott Roundabout (Hothersal); Highway Three – Hothersal, Clyde Walcott Roundabout (Hothersal) to Lears Roundabout; Highway 6 – Searles Roundabout to Six Roads; Highway 6 – Henry Forde (Chickmont) Roundabout to Searles Roundabout; Long Bay/Bel-Air Road (Crane to Sam Lords Castle); Carmichael Road (Turnpike to Boarded Hall); Ermie Bourne Highway Phase 2 – Barclays Park to Belleplaine; Belle Road and Lears Road.
The unique combination of increasing traffic flows on the roads and the fact that much of the country’s primary road network has reached, or is well beyond, its design life, has resulted in the need for rehabilitation of these key nine segments of the road network. This is particularly the case in relation to Highway 6, Searles to Six Roads, which is now more than 20 years old.
Similarly, Carmichael Road (from Boarded Hall Roundabout to the Turnpike Junction) and Long Bay/ Bel Air Road (from Sam Lord’s Castle to Crane Roundabout) are in poor condition, and although they are secondary roads, they do have an important function.
Carmichael Road connects Highway 5 with Highway 4 and Highway 4B and therefore acts as a by-pass for the ABC Highway. Similarly, the Long Bay /Bel Air Road connects two important tourist spots including the Cave Beach to Sam Lord’s Castle and from there to the Highway, acting as a main residential traffic collector.
Failure to carry out rehabilitation to these roads at this stage will result in a much greater economic cost to repair them in the future, coupled with increased traffic congestion and a higher rate of maintenance cost to vehicles in general.
The panel for the virtual public meeting will comprise Minister of Transport, Works and Water Resources, Ian Gooding-Edghill; Minister in the Ministry of Transport, Works and Water Resources, Charles Griffith; Permanent Secretary, Mark Cummins; Deputy Permanent Secretary, Trudy Farley; Chief Technical Officer, Cheryl Bennett-Inniss; Deputy Chief Technical Officer, Philip Tudor; and Project Manager, Dave Scantlebury.
The Ministry of Transport, Works and Water Resources extends an invitation to all road users to attend and welcomes their valuable contribution to this road rehabilitation plan.