MAHO--Potholes are reportedly beginning to reappear in parts of Maho, raising concerns about road safety as St. Maarten prepares for the upcoming tourist season and bringing renewed attention to the Government’s responsibility to maintain public roads.
A concerned resident contacted The Daily Herald of the deteriorating road conditions in the area. The concerns come only two months after the Joint Court of Justice ordered the Government to pay an American tourist US $44,116.37 in damages after she fell into a pothole on Nile Road in Maho in March 2021.
In its July 28, 2026, judgment, the Court found that Nile Road had a public character and that the Government was responsible for ensuring it was properly maintained. The tourist suffered a serious hamstring injury in the fall. The Government was also ordered to pay statutory interest and court costs.
The ruling has brought renewed attention to the consequences of inadequate road maintenance, particularly in areas frequently used by residents and visitors.
During recent parliamentary discussions with the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI), Minister Patrice Gumbs outlined ongoing efforts to identify hazardous road conditions and address urgent repairs. He said a second countrywide survey was being conducted to identify additional hazards, including potholes, uneven side walks and other road defects.
According to the Minister’s response to Parliament, urgent repairs would be carried out in the most critical areas once identified. However, the Ministry has not provided one fixed completion date for all roads requiring attention, explaining that work would be carried out in phases depending on the extent of the repairs needed and available resources.
Where a road presents an immediate safety risk, but permanent repairs cannot be completed at once, the Ministry said it would consider interim measures. These could include temporary repairs, improved signage and road markings, barriers and increased monitoring of particularly hazardous locations.
The Ministry has also acknowledged the value of residents reporting dangerous conditions. It has welcomed offers of assistance in identifying problem areas but stressed that physical repair work on public roads must be authorised and coordinated with VROMI to ensure it is carried out safely and in accordance with applicable standards.
The condition of roads is also expected to remain an issue as the island enters its busier tourism period. In its parliamentary response, VROMI said its short-term approach would include improving road conditions, carrying out necessary repairs and introducing localised traffic-flow measures where appropriate, in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice.
The Ministry said roadworks required during the high season would be coordinated, with advance information provided to the public and traffic-management measures introduced where necessary to minimise disruption.
However, the extent to which these measures will address the concerns in Maho depends on the findings of the ongoing road survey, the prioritisation of repairs and the resources available to carry them out.
In its broader road programme planning, the Government has identified several projects for 2027, including rehabilitation of the Ring Road, repairs to Third Garden Road, Union Road, Golden Grove Estate Road, Juancho Yrausquin Boulevard, as well as road reinstatement associated with the Dutch Quarter Sanitation Project.
A separate allocation of US $4 million is intended to improve unpaved side roads, with the Ministry aiming to address 35 roads in 2027. These projects are part of the planned programme and should not be confused with repairs already completed or guaranteed to be finished before the upcoming tourist season.
The Ministry has also pointed to limited resources and staffing as challenges affecting its ability to respond to infrastructure needs across the island. As a result, residents may continue to see repair work prioritised according to urgency rather than all damaged roads being addressed at once.
For Maho, where roads are used by residents, workers, visitors and people travelling to entertainment and accommodation facilities, deteriorating surfaces can create hazards for motorists and pedestrians alike. Potholes can damage vehicles, force drivers to make sudden manoeuvres and increase the risk of falls for people walking through the area.
The concern is not limited to the appearance of the roads. With increased visitor activity potentially adding to traffic during the high season, unrepaired road defects could affect safety and cause further inconvenience for residents and visitors.
The recent court ruling also demonstrates that the Government’s responsibility for road maintenance can extend to roads whose public character is established through the relevant legal arrangements, even where access is restricted, or the land is subject to a long lease.
As the road survey and repair planning continue, the key question for residents and businesses is how quickly hazardous locations will be identified and addressed, particularly in areas that see significant visitor activity.
VROMI has indicated that immediate safety risks should receive priority and that the public can help by reporting dangerous conditions. The Ministry has not, however, announced a specific repair date for the potholes shown in the Maho photograph.
