Above: St Vincent (CJ Photo)
By the Caribbean Journal staff
St Vincent and the Grenadines will be beginning an upgrade project of the South Leeward Highway project on the island of St Vincent.
The project, which will begin in June, is being funded by a loan of $13.6 million from the Caribbean Development Bank. The government of St Vincent and the Grenadines is providing $2.5 million in counterpart funding.
Brent Bailey, chief engineer in St Vincent’s Ministry of Transport and Works, said the rehabilitation was a “very critical project.”
When it is completed, it will include improved sight lines for drivers, increased road widths and improved drainage, among other features.
“We are satisfied with the commitment of MTW on being on schedule with procurement of the physical works,” said Albert Gillings, operations officer at the CDB’s Economic Infrastructure Division. “Upon its completion, we look forward to having a safer, and more resilient transportation corridor that will benefit the communities it serves.”
The project is expected to take around 21 months.