Residents of Grand Bay will soon benefit from the construction of the Balapark/Cemetery Road as Government continues to rebuild resilient infrastructure aimed at improving the lives of citizens.
A contract was signed on Thursday, February 10 2022 for the first phase of this project which is being done at a total cost of one hundred and seven thousand, nine hundred and eighty-five dollars ($107,985.00).
One hundred metres of road will be constructed making access to that area easier for residents.
Member of Parliament for the Grand Bay Constituency, Hon. Dr. Vince Henderson described this project as being ‘very important’ for the community of Grand Bay. He explained that the condition of the existing road has made traversing to this side of the community very difficult especially for those who depend on public transportation.
“This road is important to the people not only of this part of Grand Bay but the entire community; because one of the challenges that people had is moving through public transportation as buses are reluctant to come to this area. So this road is creating a ring and it will enhance the entire community and improve the lives of the people within this area in Balapark,” Dr. Henderson stated.
The Grand Bay MP then noted that he is excited for the many employment opportunities that the construction of the road will create for villagers which in turn will stimulate economic activity within the constituency.
“I am also excited about the economic prospects and the opportunities for employment because all the workers on this project will be from the area, from the neighborhood from the community. The contractor is also from the community” the MP stated.
Dr. Henderson went on to say that he is “encouraged by the investments that Government has been making to enhance the farm access in that area.
“By the time the EU funded projects starts, we will see over 700 meters of roadway done with proper drainage. These things will help to stimulate economic activities as we make access easier for farmers which will be, hopefully, more profitable for them” D. Henderson added.
The construction of the Bala Park Cemetery Road is not the only road project on the cards for the Grand Bay Constituency.
Prime Minister, Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit announced that work will soon commence on the rehabilitation of farm access roads. The Mancanton/Mopo farm road will be upgraded to provide improved access for farmers of this area.
“There is the Mopo farm road which has been approved. We are using funding from the European Union. They are now in the process of finalizing the legal documents with the contractors and once that is done we will see actual work started. The Mancanton is also part of it but we needed to do some more investigation so that we can do a more comprehensive intervention in Mancanton,” Hon. Skerrit stated.
Chairman of the Grand Bay Village Council, Mr. Armour Thomas, says he is pleased that this project is now realized. He too spoke of some of the benefits of this project.
“This project has been awaited for a very long time and now it has come to fruition and we are happy for that. It will also alleviate the flow of vehicles and allow our people to access the boulevard and the church. It will also facilitate the entry and residents who do farming in the area as well. So it is a very good project for the community and we are thankful,” Mr. Thomas added.