BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE final phase of rehabilitating and resurfacing of the Frigate Bay Road and the Sir Kennedy Simmonds Highway have commenced and are expected to to be completed within a year at the cost of $21M.
Yesterday (Jan. 23), at a ceremony to signal the start of work, Director of Public Works Cromwell Williams gave an overview of the project and highlighted the other phases.
“In 2013 the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis decided to take the bold step at tremendous cost to undertake this project. Let me say from the outset that the scope of this project actually extends beyond the Sir Kennedy Simmonds Highway.
“The Government has decided to extend the overall project to include roadways from the Pelican Mall, along the Bay Road, along Sandown Road into the Frigate Bay and onto the South East Peninsula.
“This final component is estimated at EC$21 million and is expected to take one year. The surfacing and rehabilitation of the stretch of road starting from the Roundabout in the vicinity of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank to Majors Bay in the South East.”
Also speaking at the ceremony was Desmond Lewis of Surrey Paving and Aggregate Company Ltd., who expressed his gratitude in receiving the contract and promised to complete the project on time.
“We are happy to be awarded this contract because it provides us with the opportunity to demonstrate efficiency to complete a project on time and within budget.”
Lewis also gave a brief insight as to how his company plans on tackling the project.
“The total length of the road is approximately 14 kilometres and we expect to complete this work in approximately 12 months. Our intention is to have these works done simultaneously in three sections. Namely - Central Bank Roundabout to Timothy Hill, the section between Carambola and Sundance Ridge and the section between Christophe Harbour Sandy Bank Bar and the Sea Bridge.
“We are very mindful that this corridor spans a very important part of St. Kitts; one that I personally call the elegant corridor. It is our intention to ensure that proper road marking sings and trained flagmen are in place to minimise delays and restrict significant time loss.”
He made an appeal to motorist to obey all the flagmen and road signs.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Works Hon. Earl Asim Martin expressed his pleasure to be involved with the project
“I am so pleased to be associated with this final phase of the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Sir Kennedy Simmonds Highway. I am pleased because we have reached the final stage of it. This project has demonstrated in some way a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Public Works, our consultants who are on the job and also a stream of various contractors who have been involved.”
He also recognised all those who played a role in the project but singled out Surrey Paving for its contributions on the previous phases and its work ethic.
“All of the phases of the project would have been completed on time and completed within budget, and I want to commend the consultant who ensured that. I have no doubt in my mind that all the hallmarks we have seen in all the phases of this project would be exhibited in this final phase.”
The road was constructed between 1988 and 1990.
