The long-awaited Hurricane Lenny Rehabilitation Road Programme in Anguilla will commence next month at East End and Little Harbour simultaneously. These are two of six sections of road damaged by the flood waters of 1999 and are now to be substantially reconstructed and otherwise repaired. The others are Covecastles road, Sandy Ground road the Quarter road and Island Harbour road.

The contractual agreement for undertaking the work was signed at a meeting in the Chief Minister’s Office on Wednesday January 22. Minister of Infrastructure Kenneth Harrigan, signed on behalf of the Anguilla Government and Roger Gooding of C.O. Williams Construction Limited of Barbados signed on behalf of that company. The signatures were witnessed by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Kenn Banks, and by the Project Supervisor John Peters, of C.O. Williams’ St. Lucia office.

The project which should be completed in 10 months has an overall cost of 7.88 million East Caribbean dollars. The Anguilla Government’s contribution amounts to $780,000 and the Caribbean Development Bank has provided a loan of $7.1 million.

Kenn Banks, who chaired the signing ceremony, said C.O. Williams Construction Limited, a very well known company in the Eastern Caribbean, had won the tender in a competitive process a few months ago.

Another Barbadian firm, DLN Consultants, represented at the ceremony by David Lashley, is responsible for the design and supervision of the work.

Minister of Finance, Victor Banks, said Anguilla was extremely pleased to have reached the point at which the road project could be implemented. “This was supposed to have been an emergency road habilitation project funded by the Caribbean Development,” he stated. “Hurricane Lenny took place in the latter part of 1999 and we were very anxious that the roads affected by it were rehabilitated. It has taken us three years almost to achieve that but we are happy today and are proud to know that the consultants have done their job and we have had a successful tendering process. C.O. Williams have come in with a reasonable price of 7.88 million dollars and we are looking to the implementation of the project in a very swift order.”

Mr. Banks said the project came at a very important time in the economic cycle of Anguilla. He added that a downturn was being experienced in the economy and the project would be a boost to the infrastructure aspect of the work on the island.

Chief Minister, Osbourne Fleming, was “very elated” about the project. He noted that the island was not facing a financial crisis but that there were problems in the economy which the road project would help to relieve. He assured the people of the island that a number of other roads would be addressed in due course.
The Minister of Infrastructure said he was anxious to see the road rehabilitation project started and was pleased that the contract was now signed and in readiness of the commencement of the work. He added that there would be work for a number of persons and hoped that everything would go well with the project.
Mr.Gooding said C.O.Williams enjoyed a good working relationship throughout the Caribbean, over many years and was looking forward to continuing that relationship in Anguilla, giving the island a good road project within budget and the completion period. He recalled that the company had the opportunity to work in Anguilla many years ago and was pleased to be back on the island.

Front Row: L-R: Kenn Banks, Hon. Kenneth Harrigan, Roger Gooding. Back row: L-R: David Lashley, John Robson & John Peters

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