PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of VROMI Patrice Gumbs signed the road resurfacing agreement with Windward Roads, paving the way for current roads to be fixed and upgraded. Since taking office, Minister Gumbs’ focus has been on rebuilding trust within and between the Ministry of VROMI and the public. As such, several policy measures are being implemented.
One way in which Gumbs indicated this trust can be rebuilt is by providing quality infrastructure to the people of Sint Maarten. To this end, a review of existing practices within the Ministry was undertaken within the last two weeks. Moving forward, roads will comprise 6-8cm of asphalt versus the current 4cm standard. In addition, the quality of paint used in road markings (lines, crosswalks, etc.) will be upgraded. These enhanced measures will mean fewer but far better roads within the scope of the road resurfacing project. A total of Nafls 5.6 million has been set aside for these works.
“For far too long the focus has been on quick fixes and paving roads, without priority given to sustainability and quality of the road, under my mandate this is going to change”.
Gumbs noted that when he took office, the Ministry had been busy for months with road hard surfacing. While long overdue, without the addition of proper drainage, the risk of flooding and long settling of water in low lying areas will increase. The Minister noted that these quick fixes, without proper infrastructure, aren’t sustainable, and we have already noticed erosion in some areas. This is a major issue on Sint Maarten and the Gumbs will undertake a comprehensive review of the list of roads for hard surfacing and resurfacing to ensure that improved drainage is part of long-term plans at the Ministry.
During the signing ceremony, Minister Gumbs also spoke to Windward roads about the possibility of using recycled materials within road works, to address the solid waste problem on Sint Maarten. Gumbs stressed going forward VROMI’s development plans must be driven by sustainability, innovation, and vision if the objective is truly about quality of life for all on Sint Maarten.
