Infrastructure Minister Shawn Edward says the Government is advancing plans for a proposed North-South Highway while preparing to begin the long-awaited reconstruction of the Sir Julian R Hunte Highway, formerly known as the Gros Islet Highway.
Speaking on the sidelines of a sitting of Parliament on August 11, Edward said the proposed North-South link is still being conceptualized but could become one of the largest capital projects ever undertaken by the Government of Saint Lucia.
“The north-south link road is a concept that has been with government for some time now across administrations,” Edward said.
He explained that the proposal is aimed at creating a better connection between the northern and southern parts of the island, while providing motorists with an alternative route around Castries.
“This is basically highlighting a need for a better carriageway between the north and south of the island,” he said. “Somewhere on the north eastern coast areas have been identified for which a road can be constructed to link Gros Islet to Dennery and allowing road users to bypass the city of Castries given the congestion that we experience in the city on a daily basis.”
Edward said several designs have already been proposed and that international companies have expressed an interest in participating in the project.
“This would be one of the biggest capital projects to be undertaken by the government of Saint Lucia,” he said. “A few designs have been proposed and quite a few companies from beyond the shores of Saint Lucia have expressed interest in wanting to work with the government for the realization of that project.”
While the Minister stressed that the project remains at the conceptual stage, he said it has already attracted interest from potential partners and remains a priority for the Government and the Ministry of Infrastructure.
“So we are in the concept phase and as I indicated, a number of companies have come forward saying that they’re interested, they can mobilize resources to get this project going,” Edward said.
“It is something that we are considering. It is on the priority list for our government and for the Ministry of Infrastructure,” he added.
Edward said he hopes to be able to provide a more definitive update within the coming months, particularly on how the project could be financed.
“I’m hoping that maybe in a few months from today I’ll be in a position to make a more definitive statement in terms of how we plan to move forward, the financing modality to be considered and things of that sort,” he said.
The Minister also pointed to what he described as strong investor confidence in Saint Lucia, citing interest in projects that could involve hundreds of millions of dollars in investment.
“The investment climate in Saint Lucia is a very good one at the moment,” Edward said. “And the fact that people are willing to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Saint Lucia at the moment speaks to the level of confidence that they have in the government of the day.”
Edward also provided an update on plans for the reconstruction of the Sir Julian R Hunte Highway, a key north-south artery that carries significant volumes of traffic each day.
According to the Minister, the Government has already communicated with its Kuwaiti partners regarding companies that have expressed interest in undertaking the project.
“As I indicated, we have written to the Kuwaitis, signaling to them the companies that have expressed interest,” Edward said. “We’ve done our own initial assessments of those companies and hopefully in two weeks’ time we will receive a no objection report from the Kuwaitis to further advance the process.”
If the process proceeds as anticipated, Edward said the Government could be in a position to award and sign a contract in November, allowing the selected company to begin work.
“Taking us into November, when we should be in a position to actually issue a contract, sign a contract and that the company will begin work,” he said.
The Minister, however, acknowledged the need to carefully manage the commencement of construction, particularly given the approach of the Christmas period.
“We also have to be very cognizant of the time of year when this project is most likely to begin,” Edward said. “So if we sign a contract towards the end of November, you do not want for there to be too much disruption going into the Christmas period.”
He said the Government will therefore have to carefully plan the initial phase of the works to limit the impact on motorists.
“We have to be very careful in terms of what we undertake at the very onset of the project, ensuring that we do not cause too much disruption to the motoring public and come up with a plan that can cause all parties to be happy,” Edward said.
Stakeholder consultation will form part of the process, with communities along the affected areas expected to be engaged before and during construction.
“There will be a lot of stakeholder consultation,” Edward said. “We’ll be meeting with the communities that will be affected.”
The Government is also considering carrying out some of the construction work during the evening to reduce congestion and inconvenience.
“We are seriously considering for some of the work to be undertaken on evening, so as to minimize disruption and inconveniences to the public,” the Minister said.
Edward stressed the importance of the highway, noting the volume of traffic that uses the route each day.
“But it’s a very critical part of our thoroughfare,” he said. “More than 50,000 vehicles traverse that road on a daily basis. It’s necessary, I think it is money well spent.”
The planned works will not be limited to the main highway. Edward said several feeder and back roads will also receive attention as part of the broader effort to improve traffic flow and provide alternative routes during the reconstruction.
“In addition to the highway itself, the feeder roads and the back roads as we call them, will be receiving some attention,” he said.
Works have already started on the Vieux Sucrieux-Norbert Road, while expansion is also planned for the Assou Canal Road and other feeder routes connecting Gros Islet with Castries and Babonneau.
“We’ve started with the Vieux Sucrieux-Norbert Road,” Edward said. “There will also be some expansion work to be done on the Assou Canal Road and the other feeder roads, linking Gros Islet to Castries and Gros Islet to Babonneau.”
The objective he explained is to ensure motorists have alternative routes available and are not subjected to the level of disruption that has accompanied major road reconstruction projects in the past.
“This is with a view to ensuring that the motoring public, they’re not as inconvenienced by reconstruction activities as we’ve seen in times gone,” Edward said.