THE HAGUE–Dutch State Secretary of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops confirmed on Friday that the Road to Jeems project in St. Eustatius will have a delay.
He did so in a letter to the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament in response to written questions submitted by Member of parliament (MP) Chris van Dam of the Christian Democratic Party CDA. Van Dam sought clarity following media reports in which former Commissioner and Island Council Member Koos Sneek called for a speed-up of the road-building project.
Answering the question by Van Dam whether there were risks of delays of other projects aside from Cherry Tree Road, Knops announced that according to what he understood, the second project from the road programme, the road to Jeems, will be completed later than scheduled.
The reason for the delay of the project, which was awarded to a local contractor, is different from Cherry Tree Road. The supervisor rejected the drainage plan, whereby the end product was marked as being too sensitive to (future) maintenance cost. Knops explained that the new drafting of the plan and its execution will result in a delay of about three months.
In his letter, Knops also clarified the delay of the Cherry Tree Road project. The project should have been completed in July, but was delayed due to a difference of views on the type of cement for the road. The new cement type has been ordered and the project should be completed no later than March 2020. The population was informed during a townhall meeting on September 4.
Knops said an adequate road network is part of a bigger infrastructural programme. He stated that aside from the speedy completion of the road improvements, it was also important to have an acceptable quality of the end result. “That is why it is important to see per project in what way the most optimal results can be achieved in a speedy manner.”
He explained that 1.25 million euros is earmarked per year from the structural means reserved for the public entity St. Eustatius for the management and maintenance of the infrastructure. The funds for 2018 and 2019 are used for the roads.
St. Eustatius has been asked to draft a plan for management and maintenance for the years 2020-2023. This plan will be ready later this year.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/90881-road-to-jeems-delayed-as-well
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