by Curlan Campbell
- Town of Sauteurs has only one main street with no bypass
- Bypass connecting Marli to Mc Nellie Alley will commence in next 2 weeks
- Project will employ around 12 people
The Ministry of Mobilisation, Implementation and Transformation has broken ground on a significant road construction project in St Patrick aimed at alleviating traffic congestion in the town of Sauteurs. The only main street in the town has been plagued by traffic congestion, limited parking facilities, restricted pedestrian walkways, and limited capacity for business expansion.
The project involves building a 1,556 ft concrete bypass road that will connect Marli to Mc Nellie Alley. It is set to start in the upcoming weeks and will include the construction of retaining walls, box drains, and slipper drains. The People’s Republic of China has provided partial financing towards the construction project amounting to $110,000 which was handed over by Ambassador Wei Hongtian to Minister of Finance Honourable Dennis Cornwall, and Joseph Andall, Member of Parliament (MP) for St Patrick West. A groundbreaking ceremony took place on Thursday, 19 September.
Andall explained the significant impact that this road will have on the surrounding community in alleviating the issues faced by motorists, pedestrians, and members of the business community while trying to navigate the streets. “We know the headache that people go through, especially when there is a funeral next door at Marli, having to follow the cortege. I am quite confident that everyone will be extremely happy when this road is finally finished. We will have better access into the town as well as a way out of Sauteurs.”
Andall reminded residents of his commitment to improving the road infrastructure. He emphasised the importance of bringing problem areas to their attention and taking quick and effective remedial action, and promised “real transformation” in the coming months for the northern parish, hinting that Government is expected to finalise a deal to acquire a property that will be used in that transformative agenda.
He highlighted a recent agreement signed during his visit to China, focusing on technological cooperation with the People’s Republic of China and Grenada. This agreement aims to bring benefits to the community of Red Mud in St Patrick. “During my visit to China last year, I visited a village called Yellow Mud. As a result of that visit, an agreement was signed to establish a sister village relationship between Red Mud and Yellow Mud. We expect to see the benefits of this agreement soon. Additionally, Ambassador Wei and I will be signing another agreement to twin Ningbo City with St Patrick. Ambassador Wei mentioned the potential for cooperation in various fields between Ningbo City and our parish.”
Minister Andall reassured the public that efforts are being made to ensure a reliable transportation service. “We understand that improving this road alone will not solve the transportation challenges that prevent people from accessing opportunities. We have already started collaborating with the Transportation Commission to ensure that reliable public transportation is available in the parish not only during regular business hours (8 am to 4 pm) but also on public holidays, after hours, and on weekends”, he said.
Ambassador Wei Hongtian expressed China’s readiness to share its modernisation experience with Grenada as part of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and reaffirmed their commitment to shared cooperation and interest. Speaking about the donation of a cheque worth $110,000 towards the construction, Ambassador Wei Hongtian said, “We know that this money is not sufficient to complete the project but this donation shows our sincerity in helping the local people to build this community project.”
Adam Andall delivered remarks on behalf of Anthony Boatswain, former MP for St Patrick West, who was unable to attend Thursday’s sod-turning ceremony due to ill health. “This town, despite its cultural and historical significance, unfortunately, is a victim of its geographic circumstances. It is the only town in Grenada without a bypass road, which means it only has one main street. This unique characteristic also brings limitations, including traffic congestion, limited parking facilities, restricted pedestrian walkways, and limited capacity for residential and business expansion. In my opinion, the construction of a bypass road will alleviate these constraints and contribute to the growth and prosperity of our northern parish.”
During the sod-turning ceremony, Minister of Finance Honourable Dennis Cornwall mentioned other tangible benefits that the parish of St Patrick has received from China. “We recently received another ambulance donation from the People’s Republic of China for the health sector stage at the multi-purpose centre down by the canal. We emphasised that the ambulance should be available to St Patrick at all times. We had a previous ambulance donated to us, but it was taken away and never returned after the cricket event in 2007. We want to avoid a repeat of that situation because having ambulance services available to St George at all times is important. We need to ensure that this is a priority.”
Marvin Charles of Charles and Associates Project Services Inc, the project contractor, stated that the construction will be implemented in phases and will commence in the next 2 weeks. He said the width of the road is expected to be around 16 feet to accommodate 2-way traffic, and the project will employ around 12 people.
Come on, people, we getting the project, right? Leave out the spiteful negativity.
They are spending close to $30 million on the longest independence day in the world and now they have someone making them pose for $110,000. They folks have no self respect, period.