A bird's-eye view of the traffic jam out of Pointe Blanche on Wednesday. This bumper-to-bumper situation is a common occurrence that is exasperated when more than one cruise ships are in port. Today, four ships are scheduled to call. Photo courtesy Etienne Locadia.
POINTE BLANCHE--Pointe Blanche residents and businesses are virtual hostages in the area due to crippling traffic jams associated with the opening of a trench along one lane of the only road into and out of the area for laying of underground waterlines and utilities cables.
In spite of this, Infrastructure Minister Miklos Giterson announced on Wednesday that the roadwork was “progressing well, despite the traffic congestion it causes for residents and visitors to the area”
The work is “very important to country,” he said, because it includes laying of waterlines, underground fibre-optic and electricity cables and sewage lines.
Delays in completion are caused by “large concrete slabs found under the road” that must be removed before work can continue.
The trenching work started in the vicinity of the cargo section of Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facilities almost a year ago. The scope of work includes cutting of the trench up to the Freedom Fighter Roundabout on W.J.A. Nisbeth Road.
