By Shermain Bique-Charles
The country’s Minister of Works is being taken to task by the United Progressive Party’s (UPP’s) candidate for St Mary’s South after another vehicle veered off the roadway near the construction site at Cades Bay Bridge.
The mishap, which saw a car landing in a nine-foot ravine, occurred last Sunday during heavy traffic traversing to and from the Seafood Festival in Urlings.
In a press statement this week, Kelvin “Shugy” Simon said the Cades Bay Bridge must be modernised to withstand the effects of climate change and he is calling for several issues to be addressed immediately.
These include the eroding roadway with a sharp drop-off, the lack of signage to warn motorists of the hazards, the overgrowth and obstructions blocking the view of the roadway, and poor lighting.
“The community has been crying out for the government to address this safety issue, and their calls have been disregarded. Work has been proceeding at a snail’s pace, and since the general elections [in January 2023], construction has come to a virtual halt. This is a very hazardous work zone, and motorists must navigate the area with caution. ABLP [Antigua Barbuda Labour Party] has failed to invest in our country’s infrastructure, and they have been unduly careless in maintaining a safe work zone at Cades Bay,” Simon said.
Meanwhile, Minister of Works Maria Browne told Observer that she is aware of the vehicular accident and was relieved to know that no one was seriously hurt in the incident.
“Regrettably, its best efforts to prevent accidents in the area have been severely hampered by the repeated theft of barricades, cones, and detour signage that are helpful to members of the driving public in navigating the construction area,” she said.
“Police barricades were initially erected and proved quite effective, and detour signs and cones were installed and erected as work on the bridge progressed. Still, they have been removed in repeated malicious theft and vandalism.”
Browne said she then made it her business to ensure that even more effective signage — which were custom made and securely fastened to the ground using chains and blocks — were installed; however, they were stolen, and the two additional cones placed on site following the string of theft were also stolen.
Two bridge walls were constructed on July 28, resulting in the removal of the material used to block access to the site. Backfilling will commence following the 21 days needed to set the aforementioned walls.
Meanwhile, motorists are being urged to proceed with caution in the area.
Minister Browne said that more work will continue later this week, and barring any further unforeseen incidents, the bridge should be fully restored in an estimated nine weeks.
The minister is further urging those making it a practice to remove the caution signs to desist from doing so, since their actions could cause harm to innocent drivers and are only slowing the pace of the necessary repairs.
