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Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 29, 2021 (SKNIS): The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis continues to invest in its public infrastructure and is inviting local contractors to submit tenders to benefit from the enhanced economic activity.

During an interview on July 27 with the Director of the Public Works Department (PWD), George Gilbert, he said, “We continue to forge ahead with the island main road and we are coming to a closing point but we have two ghauts under the island main road project to consider,” said Mr. Gilbert

He explained that these two ghauts, the Cranston Ghaut and the Bloody Point or Stonefoot Ghaut, cause traffic congestion during periods of heavy rainfall because they run on the road’s surface.

He said because of this, the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis has decided to rectify this problem, creating a solution where the ghauts run beneath the roadway.

“The purpose of this is that we are experiencing more and more hurricanes and during a storm, the essential services should be able to traverse the road and get on and get about their business,” Mr. Gilbert said.

“A nurse should be able to go to the hospital still and to work and to get back home. The police should be able to get from point A to point B and the other essential services should be able to move about and get their work done,” he said.

“When we have it going under the road it means that the road surface should be free so we can move expeditiously and without interference and without hazard and so those are the two contracts that we have ready to go,” he said.

Mr. Gilbert also mentioned the hillside in Phillips’ village to be tendered.

“Whenever there is heavy rainfall, the hillside tends to slip down into the road and block the road. So what we are going to do is put some gabion baskets to protect the hillside from sliding down into the road and so that tender is ready to go also,” Mr. Gilbert added.

He also stated that the Public Works Department was tasked with the responsibility of taking over and moving forward with the construction of the National Security Training Facility being built close to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Lime Kiln.