The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

GLADSTONE Road businesses yesterday voiced optimism they will avoid the same fate as their Village Road counterparts when their own roadworks start as a similar outcome could cut commerce by 50 percent.

Tremmie Thompson, Caribbean Gas’ general manager, told Tribune Business that the initial Gladstone Road paving project - which is said to be almost 50 percent complete - has not affected the company yet.

“We don’t have any fears of ending up like Village Road yet because I don’t see any holes being dug or anything, and they’re basically just paving the road, but there isn’t any disruption to us,” she said. “I thought they were putting islands in the middle of the road, so that doesn’t seem to be happening. So we haven’t had any disruption in services.”

The Gladstone Road Improvement Project (GRIP) started earlier this month with a paving exercise that began at the Rubis gas station, located on its the northern end, and extends south all the way to Carmichael Road. Overall, the roadworks are expected to last until 2024 once they move into high gear, with new roundabouts constructed at the same Rubis gas station and another near Aquinas College high school.

There will also be changes to the roundabout at the JFK Drive and Gladstone Road intersection. It will be expanded to three lanes in some areas, but will be dual lane for the most part, in anticipation this will create better traffic flow and allow vehicles exiting Gladstone Road on its north end better access to join the traffic.

Ms Thompson said that, if Gladstone Road suffered a similar worst-case scenario to Village Road, “we would lose about 50 percent of our business because of the inconvenience to a lot of persons. But we do have a lot of customers that are really reliable to us”.

Village Road business owners earlier this week met Michael Halkitis, minister of economic affairs, to press their case for tax relief and compensation to offset financial losses stemming from the roadworks. They have proposed multiple ideas, including VAT credits, Business Licence and real property tax waivers, Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) bill discounts, “refurbishment grants” and “full sponsorship” of a collaborative marketing campaign to entice consumers back to Village Road.

Their Gladstone Road have not shown similar unity yet, but Ms Thompson said it was too early for this to happen and “people won’t come together until something happens”.

Millie Wong, owner of Wong’s Building Supplies, added: “They are only doing the roadworks in the evening time, so it doesn’t really affect us now. I don’t know about further on, but so far its OK.”

While the works have not reached Wong’s Building Supplies yet, it is anticipated that Gladstone Road in its entirety will be affected in some way before end-2023. “I don’t think these may be necessary at the moment. But there is a lot of traffic in the morning because out here has such a larger population,” Ms Wong said.