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Basseterre, St. Kitts, September 01, 2016 (SKNIS): The main road around St. Kitts will be resurfaced in 2017.

 

Minister of Public Infrastructure, Honourable Ian Patches Liburd, made that disclosure while discussing plans to undertake a number of road and walkway improvements across the island. He said the policy of the Government is to address deteriorating conditions as they develop and to engage new projects to enhance motorist and pedestrian safety.

 

“The island main road was last resurfaced 15 years ago. It has gone beyond its life span,” Minister Liburd said, noting that the estimated period was for approximately 10 years.

 

He added that he engaged engineers at the Public Works Department and advised them to “take a more scientific approach to road construction and to road maintenance.” This includes developing a mapping programme noting where construction/maintenance work was performed and listing estimates when repair work will be needed given weather, traffic and other conditions.

 

Additionally, Minister Liburd added that officials will use the remaining months of 2015 to focus on installing the necessary infrastructure for housing projects.

 

“Over 70 housing projects are around St. Kitts that have no road infrastructure,” he said. “You have people who were issued land, paid for land in some areas and cannot go into building their homes because there is no infrastructure. No roads, no water, no electricity. So this year we are going to focus on the housing projects and putting infrastructure in these projects.”

 

The Minister added that the installation of the proper infrastructure should encourage persons to begin building on their land, thereby stimulating economic activity in the country.