At a recent site visit to the Pointe Michel Sea Defence Wall and Road Rehabilitation Project, Minister for Public Works, Hon. Rayburn Blackmoore revealed his ministry’s plans to spend approximately 130 million dollars in infrastructural upgrades around the island.
Hon. Blackmoore said the funds will be spent in enhancing roads, building retaining walls and addressing drainage issues in [specific] communities. Some work has already begun for Boetica and Delices.
The Minister said, “We have just started doing some work in Grand Fond. The people of Grand Fond are happy about that. Also, we are hoping, very shortly to start work in Eggleston, Wallhouse and Lalay Coco. But we are starting with Delices going into Boetica. We are also looking at Campbell, Despor, Canefield and Massacre. [Additionally] the river walls in St. Joseph are [being considered]. We are just about to start improving the drains in Lagoon and Portsmouth. That area has a drainage problem and when we are finished with that we would have spent over $400, 000 to improve the drains. When we are finished doing that we’re going to redo the roadwork from Lagoon to Purple Turtle [Beach] to the tune of 1.1 million dollars.”
Minister Blackmoore further explained that some of the work is to mitigate hurricane damage. He also said that his ministry will be delegating projects to village councils.
He noted, “Really and truly it’s a national effort, we are in the hurricane season so we have to start clearing out our drains, culverts and doing our brush-cutting. We’ll provide the resources in areas where the Village Councils are competent and efficient so the people in those communities can have a form of attachment and demonstrate that sense of ownership of the project. We believe that the Village Council can be a good partner in the process of trying to keep our environment clean...and [by so-doing] we can engage the communities.”
According to the Public Works Minister, the roads from Portsmouth to Purple Turtle Beach and from Vieille Case to Penville will also receive attention.