Barbados' Accelerated Mill and Pave Programme Makes Strides in Road Maintenance, More Work Ahead: Deputy Prime Minister

The Accelerated Mill and Pave Programme has brought significant improvements to the island’s roads, however, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Works, Santia Bradshaw has asserted there is still much to be done.

Noting there are approximately 2 500 km of roads in Barbados, Minister Bradshaw disclosed that under the programme’s first phase, 55.9 km of roads were resurfaced, while 6.8 km were completed under the second phase. Just 2.6 km were now left to be done under the $35 million maintenance programme which was launched in January 2024.

The Accelerated Mill and Pave Programme formed a critical part of the Ministry of Transport and Works (MTW) maintenance plan for this year. It focused on roads with deteriorated surfaces that did not require reconstruction or major utility upgrades. The preventative maintenance initiative sought to increase the longevity of these roads as well as provide motorists with a smoother ride.

“A programme like this is a drop in the bucket for the amount of maintenance that has to be done across the road network. But, it has gone a long way in being able to see a level of improvement in the conditions that people have to drive or even commuters have to walk on a general day-to-day basis. We had a number of concerns from the public in relation to compensation claims as a result of the poor conditions of the roads [and] the issues with potholes, and we have been able, I think, to alleviate some of those concerns but there’s still a lot more work that has to be done,” she said.

Emphasising that not all roads could be done using the mill and pave approach, the Transport Minister pointed out that other roadworks initiatives, such as the Scotland District Road Rehabilitation Project and CAF Programme, required more design, rehabilitation, and even reconstruction. “It will require obviously a little bit more time to be able to properly design roads with sidewalks, with proper drainage, with the kerb and slipper. In the Scotland District in particular, it is even more problematic because you are exposed to issues in relation to the types of soils and slippage. But the [Accelerated] Mill and Pave Programme specifically targeted roads which did not involve a lot of complex issues,” she said.

Acknowledging most of the roads under the Accelerated Mill and Pave Programme had been finished before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, she credited this to receiving the funds at the start of the calendar year, as opposed to the second quarter of Government’s financial year.

“It had been very difficult particularly because of the severe weather and changes in the climate for the ministry to carry out fully the extent of its road rehabilitation and maintenance programmes because we can only work within a certain time period. A lot of times when we did receive the monies in the second quarter, or the third quarter, it was becoming difficult to be able to execute,” she said. The second and third quarters start in July and end in December, which is during Barbados’ rainy/hurricane season.

“Having made those representations at every Estimates over the last few years, I think [the Ministry of] Finance realised, and certainly things have improved financially to allow them to be able to provide that injection at the start of the calendar year. So, we’ve seen improvements, yes, which coincide with World Cup cricket but that’s not the only reason why the Ministry of Transport and Works is doing roads at this point in time. We’re taking advantage of a period when it is dry, to be able to do as much roadworks as we possibly can. I think that whether it is World Cup cricket, Independence or Crop Over, Barbadians actually welcome the improvements,” she said.

Minister Bradshaw reported the average spend for the entire programme was $35 million, which comprised an initial $30 million that was budgeted, and an additional $5 million that was subsequently allocated. She noted the Ministry was looking at ways to continue the Accelerated Mill and Pave Programme. (PR)