NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (February 13, 2023)- As the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) continues its Road Rehabilitation Project on the Island Main Road, Minister of Communications and Works, Hon. Spencer Brand says he is pleased with upgrades and enhancements underway in the second phase of the project.

“I want to thank the project managers for their continued due diligence in ensuring that the project is executed to the high standard that we agreed to. I believe that when this project is completed we will see significant improvement in the general environs from Nisbett all the way over to Cliffdwellers. This is a project that when we conceptualized it safety was a critical part of it, and I’m happy to see that we’ve made the necessary progress to realize those important safety initiatives.

“Further, I believe that when this project is completed we would see the benefit to the island and people of Nevis. We are definitely looking forward to its completion and I believe that by Easter we should have a much improved and safer road network here,” the Honourable Brand said during a recent visit to the work site in the Oualie area. He highlighted the removal of the swale at the entrance to Oualie Beach Hotel as one of the safety enhancements of the project.

Mr. Dillon Webbe, project manager for the NIA, said phase two encompasses 3.4 kilometers (km) of road- 2.5 km from Cliffdwellers to the end of Cottle’s Long Path and 0.9 km from Shaws Road to Nisbett Plantation.

“It’s seven meters wide so there is adequate space for traffic. We also have a lot of  drainage work. We have six new culverts that will be crossing the road that should be adequate to accommodate the amount of water coming down towards the road and disrupting [traffic].”

He thanked the other stakeholders in the project- telecommunications companies FLOW and Digicel, the Nevis Electricity Company (NEVLEC), the NIA Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Department, and the Water Department- for their contribution to the overall success of the project. The Water Department upgraded the surface line from Cliffdwellers to Hurricane Hill, providing residents in that area with new pipelines to service their properties.

Mr. Michael Morrison, project manager for Surrey Paving and Aggregates Company Limited, said the project is on target for completion in April 2023. Starting February 13 they will undertake asphalt work from Cliffdwellers to the Gin Trap.

“Currently we are spreading base course between Cliffdwellers and the Gin Trap and the area should become available for asphalt works early in the week. All of the other sections have been dug up; we’ve laid base course, rough fill; we’re raising the elevation of the road, changing the geometric profile to address drainage and comfortable driving when accessing existing properties and going around corners. So we are improving the overall safety of the road network,” he stated.

He further informed that as part of the safety enhancements in this project Hurricane Hill is being cut down and re-profiled to improve safety for persons traveling along that side of the island.

“The excavation is 50 percent completed at this time and we anticipate that in another two weeks it shall be completed,” he said.

Accompanying Hon. Brand on the site visit were Mr. Denzil Stanley, Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Works, and Mr. Jevon Williams, Director of the Public Works Department. Mr. Williams reveled that phase two includes ancillary works directly in front of the Oualie Water Taxi Facility to provide a proper parking area for those using the facility.

The officials thanked the motoring public for their understanding and patience with the disruptions to traffic experienced along the northern end of the island main road since phase two of the project began in October 2022.