The government has awarded a $7 million roadwork contract to repave a critical stretch between North Andros' San Andros Airport and the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI), which it hopes will kickstart further economic development in the area.
Deputy Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis yesterday stated that the contract with Bethell's Trucking and Heavy Equipment Service will provide "critical" infrastructure to North Andros while opening up new opportunities for the local economy.
"With the opening of BAMSI in September last year, it became critical that the main road between BAMSI and the San Andros Airport be reconstructed and paved with hot-mix asphalt. It is proposed to phase these roadworks. As funding permits, the government will proceed with repairs and the reconstruction of the main and settlement roads in North and Central Andros," said Davis.
The project will employ 40 to 50 Bahamians, predominantly from North Andros, and will be completed in approximately six months. While the contractor will apply asphaltic concrete for the 9.7-mile stretch between the two facilities, this leaves roughly 70 miles of additional settlement and main roads left in need of repaving in North and Central Andros. North Andros and Berry Islands MP Perry Gomez welcomed the contract, stating it will bring "relief to the suffering" of North Andros residents.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Works and Urban Development Arnold Forbes told Guardian Business that the project would likely provide benefits to the local economy aside from projected construction jobs, particularly in stimulating the under-utilized Morgan's Bluff port facility and attracting additional foreign direct investment.
"If a businessman wants to invest in any island or settlement in The Bahamas they will first want to look at the infrastructure, and I think that this is an indication of the government's commitment to Andros' economy as a whole. The construction of this road is something that is necessary for every island in The Bahamas. We cannot have any of our citizens trying to build commence when we don't have as a government the sufficient infrastructure in place," said Forbes.
Forbes felt that the redevelopment demonstrated the need for wider public infrastructure projects throughout The Bahamas through public-private partnerships (PPP). While Forbes pointed out that there were several projects on the drawing board for other Family Islands, he said that the country could not afford to wait years before embarking on similar projects.
"I believe that all Bahamians should have the opportunity for economic development and the development of those islands, and to do that we will need [PPPs]," he said.
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