Government to launch major community road programme

Relief is coming to residents in the several communities on Antigua who have been
complaining about the state of the roads in their areas.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has announced that a major community-road
programme will be launched over the coming weeks. He revealed that the Cabinet
has approved several million to enable the Ministry of Works to purchase a set of
equipment to undertake the initiative.
“We are going to rollout s strong community road programme as Cabinet has
approved the funding and the order for the equipment is expected to go off this
week and they should arrive in the country within 90-days. Through this
programme, you will soon witness an expansion in the construction of roads at the
community level across the country,” PM Browne revealed.
The order includes five concrete trucks, three rollers, graders and a pug mill, a
piece of equipment that is used in compacting concrete for the construction of
concrete roads.
PM Browne said it is important that the Ministry of Works has its own equipment
for these critical initiatives. “In the past, we have had to rely exclusively on the
private sector to provide the equipment and in many cases the private sector may
not have them available. We are now buying new equipment so that public works
will have good capacity,” the affirmed.
With the anticipated arrival of the equipment, the prime minister noted that the
ministry had made a decision to move away from the construction of asphalt roads,
especially at the community level, and instead opt for concrete roads. These he said
are more durable.
According to PM Browne with the government having its own concrete batch plant
located at North Sound undertaking this policy change would not present an issue.
“You are going to see a significant improvement in the roads at the community
level and I wish to thank residents in the communities for their patience over the
years. However, I promise you, real relief is coming,” he stated.