NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (November 04, 2021) – – Hon. Spencer Brand, Minister of Public Works and Physical Planning in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), says work on the first phase of the Butlers Road Rehabilitation and Enhancement Project is progressing apace and is on track to be completed within the next few weeks.

The Minister paid a visit to the site in Butlers Village, St. James on Thursday, November 04, 2021. He commended Public Works Director Mr. Jevon Williams and his team for the quality of work carried out.

“I am very satisfied with the progress that I am seeing and I am also very satisfied with the quality of work that has been exhibited by the Public Works Department. I am one who has every confidence in the ability of our Public Works Department and I want to thank the Director and the Supervisor and their team for their commitment to the task that we have outlined.

“When this road enhancement project is completed it will certainly be on par with other development projects as it regards road construction here on the island of Nevis because of the competence and quality that the Public Works always delivers. We are making the kind of progress we want to see in Butlers and we expect by the end of this month [November] this section of road would be fully asphalted and once that is done we can continue other areas of this project,” he said.

The Director, giving a progress report on the project, said Cistern Road required a lot of excavation and construction of many retaining walls before the carriageway could be paved.

“We have completed a number of retaining walls, we have completed a majority of the curbs, and we are concreting the driveways at the moment. Once that is completed we will progress to the next phase, which will be finishing the template of the road and putting down the asphalt.

“We are planning to have this section of roadway asphalted by the end of November,” he said.

The project encompasses major drainage work, which Mr. Williams said is already in progress.

“At the top of Cistern Road we are currently doing some work there which includes building a wall and drain. At the top of the road, which meets the hill, a lot of water comes down from the hillside of the mountain and it is very important that we deal with the water. So we are installing a pipe culvert where the old dam was so that the water will go into the U-drain and then into the pipe culvert,” he said.

The Director further explained that the ghaut behind the Butlers Church of God building is being re-aligned to accommodate the water that will be coming down from the hillside.

Mr. Brand commended the people of Butlers Village, especially those residing on the road under construction, for their tolerance during the rehabilitation of the road thus far.

“I want to thank the people of Butlers for their patience and understanding in this process over the past few months. We know there has been significant disruption to your electricity, your water and with noise and dust. We recognize that with development and these kinds of civil works there will be disruption, but I believe the people of Butlers have been very cooperative and I really want to thank them,” he said.

He highlighted the fact that the road rehabilitation process has included significant upgrade to the electricity, water, and telecommunications infrastructure in the area.