By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

South Andros business owners and residents have become frustrated with the pace of road repairs and have renewed calls for roadwork to be completed.

Julian Gibson, owner/operator of Eula Nixon Convenience Store and Last Stop gas station, told Tribune Business that after residents were promised roadworks would be completed with the signing of a new contract, only a portion was completed before work came to an abrupt stop.

He said after residents protested, the road leading from the dock was paved but residents still have to combat massive potholes that damage their vehicles in areas that are still untouched.

“Right after that, they paved the road leading to the dock. All the residents of South Andrews were happy. It’s a start, but it stopped. It stopped right there, and today, it has yet to continue,” said Mr Gibson.

Mr Gibson said residents along with the town council undertook the task of patching potholes throughout the community yesterday and said the Davis administration and the former Minnis administration both “dropped the ball” on their road repairs.

“I applaud and I salute the young men of South Andros who stepped up to the plate and patched some of these potholes. That’s what we need as a community, stepping together, not depending on government, because this government and the former government don’t care about South Andros. That’s how it looks when it comes to the road construction,” said Mr Gibson.

Leon Lundy, Member of Parliament for South and Central Andros, said the roadwork has commenced and is going well.

He said contractors started off at the dock but they will eventually move to pave the remainder of the constituency.

“The roadwork is going well, it already commenced. They started off with the dock area, that should be finished by the first part of December. They already also surveying and plotting out the roadways to continue moving along. As soon as they finish the dock, they’ll start on the main road,” said Mr Lundy.

“The majority people live in the north and the central part. So that that’s why they strategically doing it. But all of the roadwork will get done.”

He said the Water and Sewerage Corporation will begin trenching next week to install water lines and the roadwork in those areas could not be undertaken until the water work is complete.

“There’s some water work that’s already signed off on that’s about to begin next week, and it has to do with some trenching, because they’re going to run piping.

“So there’s no way they could come and start paving in the centre part of the island, because that’s where the majority of that water work is in order to alleviate some of that water problems that we’re having down in South Andros right now.”

He said the road patching being done on the island was undertaken by the local council and the Ministry of Works.

Pastor Joshua Rolle, a member of the local council, said the condition of the roads has become a vexing issue for residents who frequently have to repair their vehicles after falling into potholes and the council decided to fill up the holes to prevent further damages.

He said many businesses have also complained of dust entering their establishments due to the unpaved portion of road.

“For a couple months now they were supposed to do the road and they didn’t finish it. They didn’t start really, they did the dock. And now we have plenty holes in the road and its costing the residents plenty money replacing CV joints, shocks and bearings,” said Mr Rolle.

“So I decided to go and just try to fill up some of them holes. Tomorrow, we’ll try to put some curry in the hole, because it really damaging these vehicles.”

He said local councillors and residents of the Kemps Bay area came together to fill up the potholes in hope of easing some of their burdens but urged the government to ensure the contractors carry out their duties.