At any given work week day, at about 12 noon and 4.00 pm, on Monday to Friday, the Wallace Rey Drive, at George Hill, is the scene of traffic jams on both sides of the stoplight, from east to west. It usually takes a considerable amount of time for the heavy traffic to move on.
The situation is now to be rectified with the soon-coming construction of a by-pass road providing motorists an opportunity to avoid the traffic hold-up by driving down a branch lane to the Jeremiah Gumbs Highway.
Minister of Infrastructure, Mr. Haydn Hughes, told The Anguillian newspaper: “We have been able to secure some funding to develop and construct a by-pass road between George Hill and the Jeremiah Gumbs Highway so as to alleviate the traffic during the busy times – and we are hoping to begin the construction this February in conjunction with the Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport. The road will start just below the bakery and will turn left, towards the south, and inter-link into the Jeremiah Gumbs Highway.
“The former Governor, Mr. Tim Foy, was able to work closely with me to secure funding from the British Government to develop that by-pass road. Mr. Darrien Forbes-Batey, of the Governor’s Office, and Mr. Bancroft Battick [Chief Engineer at the Department of Infrastructure], have also been working closely with me to ensure that we realise this goal.
“We have already secured the contractor, Windward Roads, out of St. Maarten, which will be working with local contractors, in particular Island Roads, to do this project.”
Minister Hughes disclosed that the cost of the road is approximately one hundred and twenty thousand US dollars. He explained that the necessary land had already been acquired and paid for by the Government.
The by-pass road was previously mentioned by the former Minister of Infrastructure, Mr. Curtis Richardson, but the land issue was still under negotiation at that time.
