by Kevon Browne
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Public infrastructure maintenance and repairs are a constant in any government’s budget.
According to volume two of the 2023 Budget Estimates under the capital projects for the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Energy, Utilities and Domestic Transport, road work is a substantial part of the ministry’s plan.
Some of the road works include the general Road Improvement Project with an expected cost of $3 million in 2023, Old Road Rehabilitation has $4.9 million allotted for 2023, the Island Main Road upgrades have $2 million in the estimates, St. Peter’s and Ft Williams Highway has an overall estimated cost of $10.6 million; $7 million of which is expected to be spent in 2023.
George Gilbert, a representative from the Public Works Department, was on the March 27 broadcast of Island Tea during the Traffic Talk segment to update the public on impending road work in the Market Street area in Basseterre.
Callers into the program expressed concerns about the overall planning for road works, whether it be the effectiveness of notifying the public or consultation with other infrastructure stakeholders.
Another caller suggested a need for more advanced planning when maintaining public infrastructure.
Gilbert mentioned that the other stakeholders are notified about when work would be carried out and would determine if they would use that opportunity to do any maintenance or repairs.
Another caller expressed the need for road work leading up to the pier at Reggae Beach, as that is one of the hubs for travel between St. Kitts and Nevis.
Gilbert said he appreciated responses from the public such as these as it helps the department better understand the people’s needs. He also promised to do all he can to address the callers’ concerns in the future.
