There are several roadwork projects currently going on in New Providence. The Chinese are leading the Airport Gateway project, creating a highway from the airport to Thompson Boulevard. Jose Cartellone Construcciones Civiles is leading the New Providence Road Improvement Project. Its scope of work is across the island.
Other emergency road work is always being conducted by government agencies such as the Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) and the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC). So at any given time, it is unclear who is digging up our roads and for what reason.
In driving around New Providence, there are numerous examples of inadequate safety measures being taken by construction crews. One example is at Gladstone Road just between Lakeview Cemetery and the Bristol Wines & Spirits office. There is an open trench there that must be at least 20 feet deep. It has been left exposed with a few small cones around it. If a car has a flat tire and its driver loses control, the poor victim who would fall in the hole would die instantly and a crane would be required to remove the car.
Along John F. Kennedy Drive there are some smaller trenches cut near the Ministry of Works. With the heavy rains, some of the trenches have gotten deeper. It would be easy to lose a tire if you were too hasty and drove quickly through the water-filled trench thinking it was of average depth. These are just a few examples of the hazards on our streets due to the road work.
The contractors and government must ensure that reasonable effort is given to maintaining public safety as we proceed through this massive road development initiative. Trenches over 20 feet in depth should not be left as deathtraps for drivers. Barriers should be erected around such holes and the necessary lighting and signage for day and night placed so that people nearing the area know what is there.
Parts of New Providence look like war zones due to the road work. There has always been inadequate traffic management associated with these changes and often people have no idea where to turn or what lane to drive in on roads such as Prince Charles Drive, creating much frustration.
We all know that there will be delays and inconvenience associated with the upgrades. However, public safety should not be jeopardized due to lack of consideration by the builders and work crews.

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