Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, along with Senator Carlos James visited the Cumberland Bridge project earlier this afternoon. The bridge is one of many major projects currently under construction in that part of the island.
The visit was part of a wider community-based visit by the duo to schools in the North Leeward constituency, but time constraints forced them to re-scheduled visits to the other schools next week.
The Cumberland bridge project which costs approximately EC$13.5 million, is financed by the Government of Mexico, and its construction is to replace the old bridge, the integrity of which was severely compromised by the December 2013 Trough System.
The new bridge is tentatively scheduled to be open for both vehicular and pedestrian traffic by October 2017. There will be a walkway for pedestrians along with a strong concrete railing for their protection, alongside a dual carriageway for motorised traffic.
According to the engineers, the foundations of the pillars on either banks reaches down to a depth of 200 feet. The new bridge is much wider and higher than its predecessor, and an intensive armouring of the river banks for hundreds of yards on either side was carried out.
The bridge is being constructed to withstand many times the force of the water as was experienced during the passage of the December 2013 floods, and as Senator James pointed out, “will ensure that there is a long-lasting linkage between the northern parts of the community, with the rest of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
Additionally, there is the “transformation of the Chateaubelair Hospital into a SMART Health Care facility, along with those at Myreau Island and Georgetown which will cost about EC$1.5 million,” according to Senator James who is the governing Unity Labour Party’s caretaker for the North Leeward Constituency.
He pointed out that the Chateaubelair SMART hospital project will take up a sizeable chunk of that sum. The Chateaubelair SMART hospital project will be funded by UKAID, and implemented by PAHO.
The new health facility will be retrofitted with solar panels for renewable energy, rain water harvesting tanks, improved functional sections for staff and patients, new maternity and paediatric wards, a pharmacy, dental and doctors’ stations, and restrooms for the public.
Senator James says that following a consultation last December regarding the temporary relocation of the Chateaubelair hospital, he made a “donation of four high-velocity electric fans, boxes of adult pampers, an electric oxygen tank, diabetic machines and strips, bedpans and urinals, and other medical supplies.”
Added to these he said, are many other major projects that the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines are also undertaking. These include the reconstruction of the Chateaubelair jetty, the Troumaca English and German Gutter slope stabilization which will cost approximately EC$3.2 million, the rehabilitation of the Teachers House in Troumaca under the local government programme at over EC$100,000.00 which is currently underway, and the construction of a satellite warehouse at Belmont which will cost about EC$1.4 million.
This warehouse Senator James says is “to store supplies to mitigate against any major disaster befalling the community and or island by decentralising the storage of critical supplies.”
The Chateaubelair jetty reconstruction project is expected to commence in 2018, and will contribute towards improving the fishing and tourism industries respectively in North Leeward.
There is the feeder road rehabilitation programme across the North Leeward constituency including the Spring Village Mongoro to Cemetery Gate at a cost of about EC$200,000.00, and the BNTF feeder roads in Kakata and Rose Hall for over EC$250,000.00.
Additionally the Kuwait Fund will be funding the Copeland Mountain, the Antoine Mountain, and Lettwood rehabilitation road projects respectively, the Regional Disaster Vulnerability Reduction Project will finance the Coulls Hill rehabilitation road project, the Longline Road project will be financed by the EDF, and the Golden Grove road project by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
“This is over EC$20 million being spent in the North Leeward constituency alone by the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in an effort to improve the lives of all residents,” Senator James said.
“The farmers will benefit from improved feeder roads, the residents will have better roads to travel on from one point to another, and there will be increased economic activity in the communities in North Leeward for all to benefit from.
“One cannot understate the socioeconomic impact of those projects, and in addition, there are other projects that I am personally undertaking which would further enhance the lives of all.”
By Robertson S. Henry
