Approximately $60 million has been spent to date on the Scotland District Road Rehabilitation Project, with eight major road projects completed and sixteen others currently underway.
Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Works, Santia Bradshaw, provided the update following a two-day site tour with officials from the Ministry, the Barbados Water Authority, and representatives from COMPLANT, the Chinese contractor executing the project alongside local teams.
“We brought the entire technical team on the road with us so that we can, in a sense, work on the job and troubleshoot a number of issues,” she said. “It’s a $230 million project. We have, up to the end of March, spent about $60 million.”
Bradshaw listed completed roads including Shorey Village and White Hill (Phases 1 and 2) in St Andrew, Vaughns Road No. 2 in St Joseph, Chance Hill and Jemmotts Road in St Lucy, and the Animal Flower Cave Road. Reece Road in St Thomas and the Link Road in Four Hill/Prospect, St Peter, were also completed.
She added that additional works are planned in areas such as Mount Brevitor, Sailor Gully, Orange Hill, Four Hill, and Prospect Road, but noted that coordination with utility companies was needed before those projects could begin.
“The works that are to be done in the Scotland District range across the rural parishes… and that takes a lot of coordination,” she said.
Bradshaw also revealed plans to install solar lights along Highway 2A and in other rural communities where roads are being improved.
“Tourism is what pays our bills, whether we like it or not,” she said, pointing to ongoing upgrades in areas such as Cherry Tree Hill, Morgan Lewis Windmill, and Andromeda Gardens.
The project is being funded by the Exim Bank of China and executed by COMPLANT in partnership with Barbadian engineers and contractors.
