One of the largest public sector projects in Anguilla, accounting for US$13 million US dollars, was signed for, by the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Air and Sea Port Authority, DLN Consultants and the contracting company Edgehill Associates (Caribbean) Kelectric JV Limited of Barbados on Tuesday, October 29.
Construction work, which will employ a number of Anguillians, will begin during the estimated period of late November, early December 2019, and up to January 2020, by which time heavy equipment, building supplies and project signs should be on the site.
The new jetty is being funded by the UK Conflict Stability and Security Fund. Speaking at the event in the Executive Council’s Chambers, Governor Tim Foy, OBE, who oversees Anguilla’s development, said in part: “This is a key project for Anguilla for lots of reasons. It is our second round of trying to get this contract agreed. I want to pay tribute to friends and colleagues in MICUH, AASPA and the office here who worked very hard to make that happen. There was a good, open and transparent competition process –one that reflects all the good and important things about transparency in the way in which public funds are managed.
“I am delighted to see that we have a group of people, in terms of who won the contract, that are all trusted friends in the likes of David Lashley [and Joint Venture]. It is an occasion when a simple signature on some documents gets done, but that can never reflect the amount of work and commitment of all parties. I really want to thank everybody.”
Minister of Infrastructure, Mr. Curtis Richardson, said it was a very touching occasion for him because when he came to office in 2015 the first challenge he had was the repair of the old Road Bay Jetty built by the Royal Engineers in 1971. “I was told that I could not receive support from the British Government. As a new Minister I was crushed, but I was very thankful for the likes of Mr. Marcel Fahie who said let us find a way and we found a method, along with the [then] Permanent Secretary, Larry Franklin, to embark on finance, design and build. With God’s help we were able to get people to help us to keep that jetty in working condition.”
The Minister continued: “Today is a marvelous time, and I want to thank the present Governor who always deliver; AASPA and my Permanent Secretary, Karim Hodge, who has worked extremely hard to make this project what it should be. It is not everything that I desire because we want more property, better facilities and so forth, but it is a very good start. I am very happy today for the people of Anguilla, and I hope we can get this project started and move the island forward.”
Mr. Marcel Fahie, Chairman of AASPA, provided background information on the project. “This occasion is really the result of trying to help yourself and when you do that, sometimes, out of the blue, you get help.” He recollected that “in 2014 the Royal Engineers suggested that the existing jetty was in a seriously deteriorated condition, and that if something was not done very quickly to repair it the situation could develop in a crisis.”
Mr. Fahie said efforts were made to obtain a grant for the repair of the jetty, estimated to cost about one million US dollars. At the end of 2015 a decision was made to work towards a contract within a six-month period for the repair work, while at the same time to consider a new jetty.
“The miracle that occurred, when we least expected, help came – not a million US dollars but a lot more [eight million],” he stated “The British Government said we will help you get your new jetty. So the lesson for me is: you persevere and if you try to help yourself, and find a way forward, people can join you and help you to get to where you want to go.” He was grateful to a number of persons for their involvement in the project, including Mr. Shomari Kentish, AASPA’s Project Officer, who was relentless and passionate about it – and the consultant, Mr. David Lashley.
Mr. Lashley, spoke about his long association of forty years working in Anguilla – and his pleasure to return to the island to undertake the expansion of the Road Bay Port facilities. “I am sure we will have the same success in completing this as we did in the first step in the process,” he stated. “We look forward to leaving you with a completed project that we will all be happy with.”
During the question and answer period, Mr. Kentish spoke to the media representatives about the new jetty. “It is going to be significantly stronger than the one we have now. It will hold berthing forces way in excess of what we have now. One of the interesting key features is called a ‘turning around circle’. That allows a full forty-foot container to turn right around on the jetty area and disembark. The jetty will be about 10-15 meters longer than the existing one, catering for an additional berthing space as well. It is going to have about 4-5 rollout platforms, about 50 percent of what we already have. So there are some very interesting features we should look forward to.”
Mr. Kentish reported that, as of now, AASPA had acquired just over three acres of land for the project, the first of other acquisitions required. The land is needed to create what is now considered more of a port project as opposed to a jetty project. “The other phase, not mentioned, is that we are going to be looking at the construction of a new warehouse. Those ideas require additional land,” he explained.
The Projects Officer stated AASPA has had discussions with a number of residents who, “for the most part, are willing to move and understand the process”. He went on: “We are going to try our very best to protect the residents from the noise and dust pollution and, throughout the construction phase, we will continue to dialogue with the residents with the aim to relocate them in the very near future.”
Mr. Kentish, an Engineer, revealed that four to five families, near the construction site, would be impacted and that the area for their relocation has not yet been determined. The project will be constructed some 200 feet south of the existing jetty.
Minister Curtis Richardson commented: “The problem in Anguilla when it comes to land for national development, is that everybody in Anguilla needs to be on one page. If people are in the way they have to be moved and the way to move them is to get them to agree. As long as a person agrees to move, then you do so; and then whatever [compensation] they say they will move for, you should meet them within limits.”
Mr. Connor Holmes, the representative of the contractor, said the Road Bay project was very important for the people of Anguilla. He went on: “We, in the Joint Venture, are very honoured and humbled to be invited to do the work, and are very grateful to everyone we worked with during a relatively short period of time to get to this point. The project should take about sixteen months.”
Mr. Karim Hodge, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure signed on behalf of the Government of Anguilla, and Mr. Marcel Fahie, Chairman of the Air and Sea Port Authority with Minister Curtis Richardson in attendance. Mr. Connor Holmes and Ms. Carleen Haynes signed on behalf of Edgehill Associates (Caribbean) Kelectric JV Limited.
