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Finally! Asphalt Plant To Be Up & Running By June

by pltm
Mar 29, 2023
13

(PLTM) - The Government highly anticipated asphalt plant is now on schedule to be commissioned by the end of the second quarter of 2023.

In a press release today March 29, Director of the Public Works Department, Mr. Jeremy Hodge said the technical adjustments that would enable the commissioning of the highly anticipated asphalt plant was sent forward by AMMANN, the plant’s manufacturer, and as such by June of this year the facility should be operational.

Mr. Hodge said, “In 2022, we tried to get the plant commissioned during the fourth quarter, however in accordance with the contractual agreement with AMMANN, they found that further configurations had to be made as a result of the decided staging location of the plant.”

Mr. Hodge added that the plant is currently located in a quarry, and that he is grateful to the proprietors of the area for allowing its operations. He said another location was being sought, as the quarry is extremely dusty. The director added that search began in 2021 for a site for the plant, as the department’s compound was too small to accommodate operations.

Mr. Hodge said that some of the auxiliary equipment attained in support of the plant were five tanks of oil, equivalent of fifteen of the twenty-yard Public Works trucks; a paver; a roller and a milling machine used to recycle the asphalt.

He said getting the plant up and going is in the department’s best interest as currently, one, twenty-yard truck of asphalt cost about $12,000.

“Paving one mile of road twenty-four inches wide, three inches thick would cost north of $690,000. Having our own plant will cost the government one third of that and will allow the department to work year round on our roads,” Mr. Hodge added.

Minister for Works, Hon. Kye Rymer stated in the House of Assembly in February, that the Government was aware of the Territory’s current state of the road infrastructure. “Our commuters and visitors deserve better roads to traverse; the replacing and commissioning of our plant, along with the auxiliary equipment, will allow for the major undertaking of road rehabilitation works throughout the Territory. "

He added, "Once the plant is commissioned we will be carrying out a phased road programme to address areas in need of repair and resurfacing."

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Reader Opinion

Please note that the opinions posted are the opinions of its author and does not in any way reflect the views of the management, staff, parent company or sponsors of Virgin Islands Platinum News.

Waste of thime

The leadership of this department is a waste of time. They need to make a list of the heavy equipment the department needs to do its work and acquire them over a four-year period so that their cost is spread over a number of budgets. you cannot be presenting a budget of salaries annually. You must budget for the equipment you need and for special projects the department is going to undertake. Imagine it is election time and you cannot afford to buy two loads of asphalt to throw in the potholes so the car can roll it in for the elections and then dig it out right after the. Come on. And this is the same government who say please vote us back in so we can continue to look at the pothole with you. then again you way ask yourself is there a choice?

Police Boats!?

Great! More shiny objects for the government to purchase!
They will pave about 100 feet of road (24 inces wide) and then the thing break and end up in the bushes for 20 years (check out the old asphalt plant across from Old Yard in Virgin Gorda - for real).

Election promise

This is just another election promise. At the end of the year it will still not be up. MALONE promise us incinerator for three years and it is still not up.

Hilarious

Did not realized our roads were only 2 feet wide. Even bike tracks are wider than 2 feet.
Imagine this is the person in charge of Public Works and don't even know the average width of a roadway. I wonder what is the width of the car he drives.

Way Cool jr

We could pay for a lot of things if the politicians would stop giving themselves those big golden handshakes, SMH

Kye wont be the minister in june TRUST ME!

big Sht

Ah buncha old refurbished equipment from the 90's

Jim

Hilarious. What road is 24” wide? And government can do it for a third of the price? Hardly. More like three times as much. You just have to love the way politicians try to justify themselves

''Damn''

Are you people crazy! That price it super outrageous. It's better we hire a caribbean country like Dominica to pave the whole island because apparently some or all politicians thinks bvi people really DUMB asf

Guest

It is amazing what gets done when you put the lights on these roaches………..we need to have white people watch you all more often…….

Politicians aint serious.

I just drop in a big FN hole at the too of Belle Vue Road. I thought my Axel broke, another vehicle was coming down towards me and one behind me, I had no choice, so you want to tell me all the complains about Bad bad Roads and all the promises we getting. How difficult is it for the Premier or The works minister to give PWD a directive to drive around the Island and full all those Valleys in the Roads?

2023

It is absolutely amazing how things suddenly jump into place just before an election

We need elections every 2 years and maybe the country runs better

be very watchful and you will see all of the folks hotting up your space; after elections U will not see or hear from them

'Jim'

That is the problem with our form of government. Without regularly scheduled elections, our politicians become lazy and complacent. They forget that their job is to serve the people

Cruise Schedule

IN PORT - TODAY ( 20 April )

NORWEGIAN ESCAPE (4266)

6:00am

2:00pm

SEADREAM I (113)

8:00am

1:00pm

SEADREAM I (113)

2:30pm

6:30pm

SEADREAM I (113)

6:00pm

8:00pm

IN PORT - TOMORROW ( 21 April )

SEADREAM I (113)

8:00am

10:00pm

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