BASSETERRE, St. Kitts -– The Ministry of Public Infrastructure is critical in helping the government achieve its national goals, such as a good transportation infrastructure such as roads, according to Director of the Public Works Department in St. Kitts, Cromwell Williams.

“The Ministry of Public Infrastructure is extremely important in building a transportation infrastructure which includes a good road network,” explained Williams. “Roads are critically important for persons to move.

“If you focus on transportation, in the morning you go to work,” he said. “You move from Saddlers to Basseterre, you need to have a functional road network that is functional. If the average is to take you 20 minutes from Saddlers to Basseterre, then the road conditions should be such that you are able to complete that journey and do so safely, and do so without much wear and tear on your vehicle.”

He underscored the importance of maintaining and improving public infrastructure because good public infrastructure contributes to economic development. “Good transportation infrastructure is important for the movement of goods and facilitation of services,” he said.

“The road network has direct economic implications because persons have to move from place to place for work,” said Williams. “Goods have to be transported likewise from their place of manufacture, whether its farmers or other persons who are manufacturing stuff, they have to move from one place to the other.”

Williams said that good transportation infrastructure is important to industries, using the example of the tourism industry.

“Once the tourist arrives via the cruise ship, they have to be transported around the island and so that again shows the importance or the dependence of the economy on public infrastructure,” said Williams.

The government began an Island Main Road Rehabilitation Project in 2018 costing approximately EC $70 million, which is estimated to be completed this year. In 2019, the government also started the Old Road Bay Rehabilitation Project to the tune of approximately EC$ 38 million, which should also be completed this year.

Additionally, the government completed phase one of installing traffic lights in Basseterre. It is presently on phase two of installing more traffic lights to help with the problem of traffic congestion and pedestrian safety in Basseterre.

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