MOW civil engineer admits not enough funds are invested in roads in The Bahamas

MINISTRY of Works senior civil engineer Francis Clarke. Photo: Moise Amisial

As of Friday, July 28, 2023

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

MINISTRY of Works senior civil engineer Francis Clarke admitted insufficient funds are invested in developing roads in The Bahamas, calling it a costly venture.

During the office of the Prime Minister’s press briefing yesterday, Mr Clarke said rain is partly responsible for the numerous potholes and poor-quality roads throughout New Providence.

“We know that the rain intensity has increased over the last few years and due to the more active precipitation events during June and July, conditions are being hindered for current road repair outputs with ponding wet areas and compromising the quality of repairs,” he said.

“This has resulted in larger potholes and road edge erosions. If you could compare the new roads that we can construct between 2004 and 2013, those roads were constructed to international standards and using international specifications.

“We don’t have any issues with those rules at this point.”

The epidemic of potholes in New Providence and the Family Islands has been the subject of public outcry for years.

Areas that have attracted complaints in New Providence include Wulff Road, Joe Farrington Road and Gladstone Road.

Mr Clarke said the ministry has a comprehensive plan to improve roads throughout New Providence. He said projects in Gladstone Road, Sir Milo Butler Highway and the downtown area will begin shortly.

He said contractors were hired to stabilise the roads to ensure safety for motorists.

More like this story

BONEFISH 1 year, 3 months ago

He is speaking the truth. This briefing should have been done by the Director of Works Who is the director and where is he/she?

The best road on this island is the Western Road heading to Lyford Road past the Old Fort Bay round about. That was the opinion of an engineer in a letter to the Nassau Guardian. It was built and engineered by a Canadian firm for the late E.P. Taylor. Also the roads West Bay Street on the Bahmar strip. Most roads in this country are not engineered and no built to first world standards The city of Freeport have way better roads than New Providence.

ThisIsOurs 1 year, 3 months ago

I actually thought it was a pretty good move that an engineer was speaking to the problem. They are moving in the right direction in terms of information. Much better than Sears standing there pretending to know what's happening.

I had a conversation with someone a month ago(?) about roads in Barbados and I could not remember any problem with potholes, I didn't go to every corner of the country but what I remember people referring to as "bad" roads was when the road got surface cracks so it was somewhat rough. When they had an issue on a road they would breakdown an entire section and build it back up, not just pour tar over a bad surface or have 50 patched up holes in 20ft of road. Solar panels are also everywhere. This a country where the dollar is half the value of the Bahamian dollar. Their shipping costs must be greater. Something is seriously wrong in our Parliament. We getting rob blind.

BONEFISH 1 year, 3 months ago

@ This is Ours. The Director of Works should be a qualified engineer. He should be able to speak at press conferences about the technical aspects of things in the Ministry of Works. He/She gets a free pass from you yet the FS is under a constant scrutiny from you. A bahamian engineer living aboard from this. New Providence is an engineering disaster with a lot of bad engineering work.

Algernon Cargill said this to a relative and his classmates who he lectured. Barbados is ahead of the Bahamas in some aspects of their development. A next relative of mine said this to me. The cost of living in Barbados was lower than the Bahamas yet they were way down there in the southern Caribbean. He said he experience that when he visited that island. He could not understand that.

The Tribune