Village Voice News continues to keep a tab on Public Works Minister Juan Edghill’s promise that Cemetery Road will be “fully completed’ and opened to vehicular traffic on Monday August 12, 2024. A story was done last week showing this did not happen. The area was revisited on Saturday, August 17, 2024 and the findings is as follows:
1 . Traffic was moving unhindered.
2. The eastern bridge was not opened to vehicular traffic.
3. There was no evidence of machines nor equipment on site between Sussex and Princess Streets. However, there are a few from the parapet between Sussex and Front Road.
4. Work still to be completed on “walkways” between Laing Avenue and Front Road.
The $475 Million road was scheduled to be completed since October 2023. In February 2024 the public works minister blamed the non-completion on “jumbie” and moved the completion date to March. In July the minister reportedly made another promise to have the road “fully completed” on Monday August 12, 2024. The date came but the road was not completed.
The repeated delay, government propping up the contraction, and hiring more contractors prompted condemnation and questions from Opposition Member of Parliament Annette Ferguson. The parliamentarian said the public deserves to know:
- What is the final cost of the project?
- How the variance in cost was offset since Budget 2024 did not cater nor approve additional monies for the project?
- Since additional contractors were placed on the project what are the costs paid to these contractors?
