Road Work
Questions surrounding the $14 million road surfacing contract—from the Road Town Ferry Terminal to the West End Ferry Terminal—were thrust into the spotlight on the Talking Points radio show, as hosts Damion Grange and Elvin Smith pressed Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley on why the project is not being spearheaded by the Recovery and Development Agency (RDA).
The contract was awarded to Tortola Paving Company late last year, but some have questioned why the RDA wasn’t engaged, especially with their track record of delivering projects on time with nearly no overruns.
Host Elvin Smith questioned why a project of such magnitude is being handled by a government ministry rather than the RDA, which has traditionally overseen major infrastructure works in the Virgin Islands.
In response, Premier Wheatley said the division of responsibilities between ministries and the RDA is not fixed and is still being worked out. He explained that the government intends to clarify the matter through legislation as it transitions the RDA into the Virgin Islands Development Authority.
“It is not necessarily a set kind of structure in terms of what the RDA will handle and what the ministry would retain,” Dr Wheatley said. He added that while the size of a project can be a deciding factor, the RDA currently has a full slate of projects, and the ministry felt comfortable managing this particular contract.
What about water and sewage?
Grange sought clarity on whether the $14 million contract includes underground water and sewage infrastructure, warning that it would be disheartening to see newly resurfaced roads dug up months later.
Premier Wheatley explained that the contract is primarily for asphalt paving and does not directly include water, sewage or other underground utilities. However, he stressed that supporting infrastructure can still be installed under separate contracts where necessary.
While admitting that underground infrastructure was not considered for the project, the Premier defended the government’s efforts, saying it has become standard practice in road projects to ensure underground utilities are installed ahead of final paving. He cited works at Fish Bay, Hodges Creek and Paraquita Bay, where sewage lines, water lines, telecommunications infrastructure and electrical conduits were placed beneath the roadway before surfacing.
He also credited the RDA for this coordination, saying the agency “did a great job” ensuring different service providers worked together to prevent repeated excavation after roads were completed.
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