by Eulana Weekes
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Minister responsible for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Utilities, Hon Konris Maynard, encourages motorists to drive safely, as several asphalt roads in St. Kitts require maintenance.
However, road maintenance will take some time due to ongoing repairs at the asphalt plant. Maynard made the disclosure whilst delivering his presentation at the Tuesday, March 07 sitting of the National Assembly.
“Unfortunately, I have to report to the country that our one and only asphalt plant that makes the hot mix is presently out of service for the past few weeks, as it is presently undergoing extensive repairs. Once the plant went out of service, the procurement process began to identify the contractor to do the repairs. The procurement process is now complete, and repair works have begun. It is expected and estimated to take, maybe, another two to four weeks before we can get the asphalt plant up and running.”
Notwithstanding that the asphalt plant is ageing, Maynard said the Ministry of Infrastructure and Utilities would be approaching the Ministry of Finance to see how the plant can be augmented to ensure that it is not out of commission for extended periods.
The areas identified for road maintenance are Mcknight, Market Street, Newtown, Lime Kiln and Trafalgar, as well as other areas in the Western and Eastern parts of the country, such as Sandy Point, St. Pauls and Cayon, amongst others.
Asphalt roads can be maintained in two ways, the cold patch or hot mix methods. The cold patch is a type of pre-mixed asphalt compound that can be used to repair potholes and cracks. However, it is described as a temporary option, as rain and extensive use can cause it to deteriorate quickly. The preferred choice, however, is the hot mix, which is more suitable for the paving of roads and is longer lasting.
