The Norbert and Vieux Secrieux Road rehabilitation project is nearing completion, with the contractor targeting an end-of-March reopening.
While the upgraded roadway is expected to significantly expand the traffic corridor, the presence of live electricity poles standing in the middle of newly constructed lanes has sparked concern, especially against the backdrop of heightened national outrage over roadside safety.
Director of Construction and Industrial Equipment Ltd, Rayneau Gajadhar, says efforts are being made to ensure the road can be safely reopened to motorists, even if works are not entirely finished.
“What we intend to do is to push the works to a situation where we can have it fully open to traffic. It will not be 100 percent complete, but it will be properly motorable,” Gajadhar explained.
However, the unresolved issue of electricity pole relocation remains a major obstacle. Gajadhar says the matter was raised with the Saint Lucia Electricity Services Limited some time ago, but disagreements over costs have stalled progress.
“Well, actually, we have addressed it. So, what we have done way back is to ask LUCELEC to provide us with an estimate for the relocation of the poles. This we did quite a while back. They sent us an estimate and then we requested from them a breakdown of the estimate because basically what they gave us was a lump sum,” he said.
According to the contractor, the estimate provided appeared excessive, and repeated requests for clarification were unsuccessful.
“It looked very exorbitant and I asked for a detailed breakdown. On three or four occasions, we have requested it. And in one of the letters, they basically said they are not giving a detailed breakdown of it. It is impossible for us to be paying all those monies out and not know what you are going to do and what we are paying for,” Gajadhar stated.
In the meantime, temporary safety measures have been implemented along the roadway to reduce the risk to motorists.
“Actually, what I have done, and you can see, I have put up some reflective signs on every pole. In some of the areas where the state wires are, we have put in cones. So, at every location during the nighttime, you have a reflective board on it which will help prevent somebody from getting into it,” he said.
Gajadhar added that further interventions may be considered if the situation drags on. “If this process is a little longer, what I may have to do is to put in a series of slip-in policemen or speed humps in it. But for now, we have not had a problem of too much over speeding on this road,” he noted.
LUCELEC declined an interview for this report but issued a written statement, asserting that the relocation of electricity infrastructure is a routine component of major road projects.
The utility maintains that responsibility lies with the project lead to ensure such works are properly scoped, costed, and included in project estimates.
LUCELEC further stated that it cannot absorb relocation costs on behalf of third-party projects and is prepared to carry out the works once approvals and costing arrangements are finalized, adding that public safety remains its priority.
Despite these assurances, the reality on the Norbert Road continues to raise concerns among motorists, as live electricity poles remain embedded within active traffic lanes while negotiations continue.