NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (August 16, 2019) — Phase 1 of the Nevis Island Administration’s (NIA) EC$6.7 million Island Main Road Rehabilitation and Safety Improvement Project from Cotton Ground to Cliff Dwellers got off to a slow start due to inclement weather conditions but the contractor says they have accomplished much.

Mr. Mark Rhomes, Quantity Surveyor for Surrey Paving & Aggregate Co. Ltd, the company contracted for the project, spoke to the Department of Information on August 13, 2019 and gave an update on the road works progress.

“It was a slow start because of the weather conditions. We started the first box culvert. It is about 85 percent complete at the moment. We have completed the main body of the box culvert and just have the wing walls to complete, so that’s what we are working on. That is scheduled to be completed in the next week. After completion of that box culvert we will move to the second box culvert which is actually right in front of Nelson Spring.

“We have started a U-drain which is going to be 68 metres and we have done about 40 meters at the moment. Also we have carried out the scarifying of the road using a milling machine to mill up the existing asphalt, and we started yesterday which is Monday. We have started to carry the sub base material because we are actually raising the level of the road so the road will be a bit higher as you can see in driving past. So that activity is happening now,” he said.

At the moment the company is working on the Cliff Dwellers to Cotton Ground section at the Sea Bridge, where the filling process will be suspended then they will put on some base material and that process is expected to be completed by the end of this week. Next week they plan to commence priming of the base material and the laying of asphalt concrete on top.

The sub-base material used on the road comes from the government quarry while the crushed stone aggregate material for placement before the asphalt will come from Lefco Equipment Rentals & Construction Co. Ltd.

Regarding an area on the road which experiences heavy flooding, Mr. Rhomes explained that they would be taking action to mitigate floods.

“In the area that floods a lot we will be raising that area as well…We will be putting down geo fabric that will help to stabilise the soil there now, and then we will put on the sub base material and then the base.

“We are actually going to be raising that area as well. So most of the carriageway will be raised about 1 ½ foot and that would help to mitigate this flooding along with the new drainage solutions that we have. There will be U-drains and V-drains along the carriage way as well,” he said.

Meantime, Hon. Spencer Brand, Minister of Communications and Works on Nevis thanked the contractors for their accomplishments so far on the project which is expected to span three months.

“I am very satisfied with the progress of the road work thus far on the road rehabilitation from Cotton Ground to Cliff Dwellers. I believe the contractor is making good progress…and we believe the completion date should be very shortly…I also want to thank once again the contractor for their work,” he said.