Contracts Signed for Eleuthera Roads Improvements

Hon. Neko Grant, Minister of Public Works and Transport

ELEUTHERA, The Bahamas - The Government of The Bahamas on Thursday (August 14, 2008) signed five contracts for over $13 million of road works, covering 60.3 miles in Current Settlement, Current Island, Harbour Island, Central and South Eleuthera and the Queen’s Highway.

Minister of Public Works and Transport the Hon. Neko C. Grant signed the contracts with various contractors as he launched an ‘infrastructure crusade’ for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
 
Minister Grant said: “The roads in Eleuthera have been in terrible shape for any number years and it is important that we start from where it was most needed. We are embarking on an infrastructure crusade to better the lives of Bahamians. We promised to do that in Manifesto 07 with the ‘Trust Agenda’ and we’re simply keeping our commitment.”

(L-R) Minister Alvin Smith -Representative North Eleuthera and Minister Neko Grant, Minister of Public Works and Transport, sign agreements in Eleuthera.

Two contracts were signed with Symonette’s Enterprises for South and Central Eleuthera totaling some $9.1 million and 47.6 miles. The contract for Central Eleuthera, which is expected to be completed in 18 months, covers 22.5 miles and includes the settlements of Gregory Town, James Cistern, Governor’s Harbour, Palmetto Point, Savannah Sound and the Queen’s Highway. 
 
In South Eleuthera 40-50 persons should be employed as a result of the 25.1 miles of road works in John Millar’s Subdivision, Weymss Bight, Cape Eleuthera, Deep Creek, Cotton Bay Road, Green Castle, Bannerman Town and on the Queen’s Highway, at a cost of $4.6 million. Work is scheduled for completion in 12 months.
 
Member of Parliament for South Eleuthera Mr. Oswald Ingraham termed the signings ‘significant’ and said the road situation has probably been his ‘worst nightmare’.
 
A $217,000 contract was also signed with Austin Knowles Construction Ltd. for interim repairs to the Glass Window Bridge in Central Eleuthera.

“The Glass Window Bridge serves as an important link between Central and South Eleuthera and is an important natural and national feature with touristic importance,” Minister Grant said.
 
The repairs to the bridge include construction of safety barriers on the bridge deck; construction of support walls, columns and beams under the bridge deck; reinstatement of crash barriers on the approach to the bridge and placement of signage and road markings to facilitate traffic management. George V. Cox and Co. Ltd has been engaged as structural engineers and the project is scheduled for completion in four months.
 
Member of Parliament for North Eleuthera and Speaker of the House of Assembly the Hon. Alvin Smith said there have been many cries about the deplorable state of the roads in Eleuthera and the repairs would eliminate some of the fears that people have when they approach the bridge.
 
Two contracts were signed with Mike Stubbs Enterprises: one for 6.4 miles of main and side roads in the Current Settlement at a cost of $1.339 million and the other for 3.2 miles of road, including concrete roads, in Harbour Island, for $1.6 million. The road works in Current Settlement and Harbour Island should be completed in 12 months.
 
The signing of the $1.4 million contract with Hepburn’s Paving for improvements to the roads in Current Island was a “welcome relief” to the 40-50 residents there. The project, which has a 12 months completion date, includes refurbishment and repaving of the main settlement road, repaving of the back road and repaving of the dock and cemetery access roads.

By Kathryn Campbell