RDA takes the reins on roads

Recent developments suggest that government may be rethinking a previous plan to award a controversial contract for 38 miles of roadwork, but the minister in charge says no final decisions have been made yet.

The original plan drew criticism after a government tender process launched in November 2023 attracted only one bid: a $37 million offer from the St. Kitts and Nevis-based company Surrey Paving and Aggregate Ltd.

That bid still has not been accepted, and opposition member Marlon Penn told the Beacon on Monday that recent discussions in the House of Assembly’s closed-door Standing Finance Committee suggest that government is now considering scrapping the plan in favour of a different approach to be managed by the Recovery and Development Agency instead of the Ministry of Communications and Works.

“Because of the pressure that me and others have put on the minister and his team, they seem to have changed course,” said Mr. Penn, who previously estimated that the proposed Surrey project would cost taxpayers upwards of $100 million once government supplied the required materials. “What I said they should have done in the first instance is do a proper tender through the RDA.”

Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer told the Beacon this week that Cabinet has not in fact decided the way forward with the roadwork, but recent information released by the RDA appears to support Mr. Penn’s account.

In November, the RDA released a Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) for the “design and contract management” of nine sections of roads.
The REOI did not mention the previous 38-mile project plan, but it did describe responsibilities that appear to overlap with those included in the November 2023 tender that drew Surrey’s $37 million bid.

Last week, the RDA announced that it had received submissions of interest from nine firms after extending the initial deadline from Nov. 29 to Dec. 6.

“The consultants will be responsible for engaging stakeholders through all phases of the projects, leading the planning and development phases, and producing preliminary and final designs required for the construction of the identified road projects,” the RDA stated on Dec. 11. “The consulting assignment also includes assistance during the tendering and award of the construction works, and construction supervision and contract management during implementation of the works. The duration of the assignment is expected to be for a period of 12-24 months for each of the four sets of roads.”

‘Statement of Requirements’

The Dec. 11 announcement added that a “Statement of Requirements” for the road projects had been signed between the Ministry of Communication and Works and the RDA, “signalling the official assignment of the projects from the government to the RDA for planning and implementation.”

Like the REOI, the announcement did not explicitly mention the previously planned 38-mile project, and the RDA deferred questions about it to the ministry while also declining to provide the Statement of Requirements.

But a list of roads set to get work under the REOI appears to correspond roughly to the 38 miles covered under the previous tender, with the exception of a stretch of road in East End where work is already under way (see sidebar).

Mr. Penn said the RDA announcements support his belief that government has chosen a new direction for the project — even more so after the recent SFC discussions led him to believe that no money will be allocated for the Surrey contract next year.

Still on the table

Mr. Rymer, however, said the new REOI does not necessarily mean the Surrey contract is off the table.

“You would see that we started doing some road asphalting around the territory. That also falls within a remit of the 38 miles of road, but we are still waiting on Cabinet for the decision,” Mr. Rymer told the Beacon. “So we are just making headway in terms of how we can … try to address our road infrastructure.”

The stretch of road from Fish Bay to H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, for example, was originally included in the 38-mile project’s tender documents, but it has since been repaved. The road east of HLSCC is also under construction, with sections having been excavated down to bare dirt.

“We’re waiting for the process to be completed with the 38 miles of road, but obviously some of that road would be done beforehand,” Mr. Rymer added. “So if there’s a negotiation to be had, then it would have to be done if [Surrey Paving and Aggregate Ltd.] is desirous of continuing.”

Other ongoing work

Aside from Tortola’s eastern end, much of the main road in the Duffs Bottom area is under construction, and other roadwork is also in progress on the sister islands, Mr. Rymer said Monday.

“We’re still proceeding, just like we’re doing other roadworks,” the minister said. “We have roadworks on all islands: Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda and Anegada.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Rymer added, the Caribbean Development Bank recently visited the VI to assess the territory’s roads.

“You see, we are going through the process where we are trying to rehabilitate all our roads, right?” Mr. Rymer said. “We actually had the CDB come in the other day and do an assessment of our roads as well, and they created some hot spots. So that is another aspect to the road infrastructure.”

Much of the planned roadwork is expected to be funded by a $100 million loan the government secured recently from CIBC First Caribbean Bank. Of that sum, about $36 million is earmarked for roadwork, leaders have said.

More info

Mr. Rymer also said Monday that he would announce more information regarding the revitalisation of the territory’s road network later this week.

“I plan to say a lot of stuff in my debate pertaining to the roads,” Mr. Rymer said of the HOA budget debate that was scheduled to start yesterday afternoon. “I will definitely [update the public on the roads] in the debate, hopefully Wednesday or Thursday.”