Khader Alikhan, project coordinator for the New Providence Road Improvement Project speaks to media representatives at a press conference at the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Monday, March 8. Pictured from left: Gordon Major, Acting Director; Mr Alikhan; Colin Higgs, Permanent Secretary and the Hon Neko C Grant, Minister of Public Works and Transport. (BIS photo/Raymond A Bethel)

Nassau, Bahamas -- The Ministry of Public Works and Transport is “extremely pleased” with the success achieved to date with the New Providence Road Improvement Project said the Hon Neko C Grant, Minister of Public Works and Transport.

“Things have been going well,” said Mr Grant. “We have a few months left and we will continue what we set out to do when we launched the infrastructure crusade.”

“There have been some challenges. We believe that those challenges are behind us. We seek to move forward to complete this project as soon as possible and to provide the kind of road network that the people of The Bahamas deserve,” Mr Grant said during a press conference to announce the implementation of a one-way system for Baillou Hill Road and Market Street, Monday, March 8.

Phase one will begin, Tuesday, March 30 and will made Baillou Hill Road one-way northbound and Market Street one-way southbound between Robinson Road and Wulff Road.

The new system is a part of the Government’s New Providence Road Improvement Project that is being funded by the Inter-American Development and is to be completed by January 2012.

 
The $120 million contract with Jose Cartellone Construction Civiles Construction of Argentina includes construction of 11.6 miles of roads, and comprises nine new and 10 existing corridors.

Among the roads to be improved are Baillou Hill Road and Market Street, East Street between Robinson Road and Soldier Road, West Bay Street/Saunders Beach, Robinson Road and Prince Charles Drive, Marathon Road, Wulff Road, the Milo Butler extension to Cowpen Road, the new Bethel Avenue phase I and the new Bethel Avenue phase II.   

Khader Alikhan, project coordinator said utility investigations were carried out during evening hours before construction commenced to allow minimum inconvenience to the motoring public.

“The Ministry realizes that Baillou Hill Road and Market Street are very busy and as such it is our responsibility to inform the residents and business owners how they are going to be impacted during construction.

We have planned an information session in this regard and have a media consultant to assist us with continuously informing the media and the public on the plans,” said Mr Alikhan.

He noted that the Traffic Management Committee including the contractor, the engineers and the Project Execution Unit are working together to develop traffic management schemes for each section of the construction phase.

“Our intention is to continuously inform the public as we go along with the project,” Mr Alikhan said.