by Linda Straker
- Cornwall wants citizens to have patience when it comes to fixing of roads
- Over 100 contracts have been completed which require payments
- Ministry of Infrastructure received largest allocation of funds in Supplementary Appropriation Bill
Infrastructure Minister Dennis Cornwall wants citizens to have patience when it comes to fixing roads throughout the island because the current Dickon Mitchell administration does not have infinite resources.
“Challenges will always be there in our roads because we do not have infinite resources to deal with things, and therefore, our citizens should understand that not every hole that pops up in the road nor every slippage that we have around, that the Ministry of Infrastructure can go immediately and fix,” he said in an interview with the Government Information Service (GIS) following the sod turning to commence work on the Moliniere land slippage.
“We have to make sure that the resources are in place to ensure that we can do the work in a professional way. It’s a call to the general public, yes, you voted us into office to do the transformation for you, but transformation comes with pain, sacrifice, challenges, and so on,” said the Acting Prime Minister on Wednesday.
He called on citizens to give the administration time to ensure that what is done is done professionally.
The Ministry of Infrastructure, which Cornwall heads, received the largest allocation of funds in the Supplementary Appropriation Bill which was recently approved by both Houses of Parliament. The Ministry received EC$88,575,553 to fund the start of or complete several infrastructure projects. EC$194 million was the total Supplementary Appropriation. EC$5 million was approved to facilitate asphalt roads pavement works currently being done to improve the road infrastructure. “Currently, numerous potholes exist throughout the island, which is being remedied,” said the explanatory note to the allocation.
EC$2.5 million was also approved for the Molinere Landslip Rehabilitation Project; $5.5 million to facilitate debushing for the rest of the year 2022 and $20 million to make payments under approximately 280 contractual commitments in which concrete pavements, retaining walls, drains and culverts are being constructed to protect the integrity of roads.
According to the explanatory notes, over 100 contracts have been completed which require payments in addition, works are currently ongoing. “The contractors must receive payment for work done, therefore it would be difficult to delay payments until next year.” The notes were among parliament documents.
“The provision was unforeseen as the Ministry did not anticipate the high demand for roads and retaining structures and the significant increase in material prices. The Ministry has spent $25 million to meet these demands thus far,” the notes said about the EC$20 million allocations.
Stop the negative comments, time to put your head down, work hard to bring Grenada forward.
My comments on the debushing program is relevant here. Training of workers in a road improvement program should redound in better approaches to getting the job done and better use of resources.
Why is it that we.tend to believe.everything we hear. Are.we.this clueless? We all know that the roads can’t be fixed all.one time. When NNP.was in power I appreciated when the did things to move.the country forward. I will.do.the same for NDC. We.move!
As I see it, the comment from the minister is saying, it’s been that way for years and not dealt with, so it’s not possible for this four month old administration to have addressed all the corrective measures to the challenges they have inherited, from the previous administration.
This headline was great! Minister seems like a practical, no-nonsense guy. But just note that the roads were always symbolic of the previous admin’s incompetence elsewhere — of their corruption and graft, of their neglect of people’s basic needs, even while they made millions selling La Sagesse and Levera. You speak the truth, Minister, but please keep fixing those roads…
So that’s why the previous government couldn’t fix every pothole on every road. They also didn’t have infinite resources.
Yes because all you was so thirsty for power to run the country, and not realising that most resources for infrastructure comes from other countries, YOU from above all people should know that Dennis. It’s laughable because you guys thought process was different during the campaign. You acted as if KCM had a magic wand. Where are the truck drivers, bus drivers, motorists et-al that used to call the radio program and complain 5-6 months ago? ALL YOU TOO HYPOCRITE in this place. And ah saying it in big! Donkey really have no right in horse race for true. We want the road fix and is that. Find the magic wand and fix it.
Amen
NNP did not lose election for not fixing the road. Maybe that was part of it but not the real reason. And the explain everything. He didn’t say it would not happen. It’s not magic.
In my last visit to Grenada in June, I was surprised to see the extremely high number of heavy trucks transporting building and other materials. Heavy vehicles are the ones which cause the most damage to our roads. The traffic authorities should therefore perform checks to ensure that such vehicles are in compliance with the individual axle weight limits set out in law.
With more relevance to the actual issue under discussion. The workers fix the holes, but BADLY! So they have their work creation scheme, and we the taxpayers keep on paying…
The government dept needs to talk to people who actually know how to fix tarmac roads properly so the repair stays repaired. The underlying issue is that the repairs are both porous, and unsealed at the edges so are undermined by any rain that falls. The edges of any repair need sealing with mastic tarmac, and the actual tarmac used needs to be either proper cold mix, or hot mix thats actuallly hot, neither are currently in place with workers trying to heat up barrels in an amateur hour performance.
As an aside, the main destroyers of roads are the ridiculously heavy tracked vehicles and gravel/concrete carriers which attract low or no annual road duties. In civilised countries these monsters pay for the damage they do, 20,000xcd a year per vehicles is a reasonable tax and is equitable with international fees.
This is so sad; it took you almost a lifetime to realize that a government cannot fix every problem in the country. You were a stern critic of the previous administration with no regard for their efforts. Everyone’s government has shortcomings, and so will you and your colleagues, who criticize with no sense of morality or regard for anyone’s efforts, or anything beyond their self-interest and their hunger for power, prestige, and wealth. Members of your government choose to lie to the people, a government that lies to the people, should not be allowed to lead the people. And the most shameful part of it all is that today you are seeking sympathy from the same people that were intentionally lied to with no regard for truth, or self-respect.
Tell it like it is !!