Dominica: Phase 1 of Loubiere to Bagatelle Road rehabilitation project set to commence on Sept 20

The Phase one of the highly anticipated project of Dominica, Loubiere to Bagatelle Road and Bridges is all set to commence on Friday, 20^th September 2024. The Phase one will see the upgrading of approximately 11km of asphaltic concrete road, the construction of several bridges, culverts and associated works, extending from Loubiere to Grand Bay Junction.

The primary aim of the project is to rehabilitate the Loubiere to Grand Bay Road in the southern part of the island where the damage occurred during Tropical Storm Erika and Hurricane Maria to better than the pre-existing conditions.

Along with that, the authorities aim to reduce the vulnerability of the road to future extreme climatic events and natural hazards and improve the safety for the monitoring public.

This project is being implemented by the Ministry of Public Works, Public Utilities and Digital Economy (MoPWPUDE) through the Climate Resilience Execution Agency for Dominica (CREAD).

Therefore, the Minister for Public Works, Public Utilities and the Digital Economy, Fidel Grant has extended invitation to all the citizens for the Groundbreaking Ceremony. This ceremony has been scheduled to take place on Friday, 20^th September, 2024 at the Geneva Playing Field, Grandbay.

This transformative project is all set to breathe new life into the infrastructure with a vision to enhance the connectivity, safety, and overall travel experience for everyone. The enhanced infrastructure will also play a huge role in fostering economic growth, facilitate smoother commutes, and bring about a more resilient and sustainable transportation network.

With this project, around 18,000 residents are expected to benefit from reduced travel times, and improved access to all-weather, climate-resilient safe roads along the project route. And, 4500 residents in the communities of Belleuve Chopin, Pichelin and Grand Bay will benefit from improved access to critical social services in the capital city and increased economic opportunities during and after the process of construction.

The timeline of the entire project:

May 2016: Technical Assistance approved

March 2022: Capital Project approved

March 2023: Project re-scoping and re-design completed

After this, the Government of Dominica started with all its operations towards the commencement of the project.

September 2024: Commencement of the Project

As per the details, it is being expected that the project will likely to be conclude by December, 2025, benefitting residents of Dominica.

Moreover, this project has been made possible through a grant from the United Kingdom Government under the UK Caribbean Infrastructure. The Government has financed the rehabilitation of the entire road from Loubiere to Bagatelle Road and Fond St Jean with the grant in excess of twenty-five million pounds.