Old Road Bay -an ultimate traffic hazard
By VonDez Phipps
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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Old Road Bay
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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WITH the onset of tropical storms and hurricanes hitting the Caribbean, the coastal line at Old Road Bay is being threatened. The constant swells and rolls of the Caribbean Sea parallel to the road are beating against the retaining wall and a lot of water been seen to cover over half of the thoroughfare.
At the same time, the hill on the other side of the road has it equal share of being a hazard to traffic below. Boulders and tree trunks have been loosened and are randomly dropping in the street posing a major problem, as many drivers have to take evasive action by swiftly swerving to avoid collision.
The Opposition Representative for the area Lindsay Grant, in speaking to SKNVibes, said Old Road Bay has been an area of concern for a number of years and it is really a hazard to the travelling public plying the western area of the island on a daily basis.
He explained that whenever there are heavy rains and rough seas, rocks begin to fall from the hillside and the water reaches up into
the road, which may not only damage vehicles but also injure people.
“I think the time has come to take a serious look at it to ensure that the safety of those travelling is maintained rather than waiting for a tragedy to happen and then have to rectify it.
“If the current problem persists, we would have a death on our hands.
On the one side, there should be some sort of retainer to ensure that the boulders are trapped, and, on the other side, we need to take a look at whether or not we should fill an area to ensure that the sea does not continue [to pose a threat],” he added.
The Leader of the People’s Action Movement suggested that the government places safety signs alongside the road as well as introduce other safety features to ensure that travellers are warned before hand, so that the government does not put itself in liability. ~~Adz:Left~~
The Traffic Department and Roads Department of the Public Works were both contacted and claimed that they knew nothing of the condition. Attempts to contact the Minister of Public Works, Hon. Dr. Asim Martin, were unsuccessful.