Minister Derjacques inspects completed, ongoing road projects in north Mahé |03 September 2021
Drainage improvement project at Anse Etoile
The Minister for Transport, Antony Derjacques, has said he is satisfied with projects being undertaken by the Seychelles Land Transport Agency after inspecting some completed and ongoing road projects in north Mahé yesterday morning.
Minister Derjacques was accompanied on the visit by the chief executive of the Seychelles Land Transport Agency (SLTA), Parinda Herath, and other senior officials from the agency.
“Everything looks positive. Even though the budget for the agency was reduced, work is ongoing to complete projects which had already started and that will be of great benefit to people in the communities,” Minister Derjacques said.
The visit started in the Bel Air district where a project to widen the Curio Road is underway. Phase one of the project started in 2017 and was completed in 2018. The second phase started in late 2018 and is nearing completion. Asphalt work is expected to be done soon before the project is fully completed by the end of September at a total cost of R4.4 million.
SLTA is currently working on the design for the 3rd phase. However, it will be implemented when funds are available.
Apart from widening the road, the project also involves building retaining walls and drainage.
From Curio Road, Minister Derjacques was guided to a nearly completed road project at Ile Perseverance, leading to the Seychelles Coast Guard base. As part of the project some drainage works are underway and this is costing R1.2 million. He also visited another completed road project at Ile Perseverance 2.
Minister Derjacques and his delegation then proceeded to visit a junction and drainage improvement project next to Manresa Guest House at Anse Etoile. The project is to improve and eliminate flooding that inhabitants living in the vicinity and also road users were experiencing during heavy rains. The project included enlarging the existing culvert on the main road and constructing new roadside drains starting at upper La Gogue road that will flow down to the newly built culvert on the main road. The project which was completed in March this year has cost R1,598,123.75.
At the North East Point Village, the inhabitants will benefit from a new road enlargement with two new high capacity bridges across. The project is to address traffic congestion on the stretch of road to allow proper traffic flow. The project was completed in July this year and asphalt will be laid soon to finalise it. The cost of the project is R1,462,209.50.
Minister Derjacques said the main constraint the ministry and SLTA are facing is to get way leave from property owners, especially those living by the roadside, to build new roads or to enlarge and maintain existing ones.
He noted that last week, along with President Wavel Ramkalawan, they visited the West Coast road that will serve residents from Takamaka to Baie Lazare and also near the Seychelles International Airport where an initial third lane has been proposed.
He noted that the problem there as well is to secure way leave from property owners so that these projects could start.
“I want to appeal to people with properties by the road side to help us with our projects to enlarge and resurface the roads for their own benefit and security and for that of their communities,” the minister said while highlighting that we all need access to transport to go to work and to go out and do whatever transactions we have to do and therefore our cooperation is very essential.
With regard to road maintenance, the minister called on all government and private entities whose work involves excavating roads constructed or maintained by the SLTA, to work in cooperation and collaboration with the agency to ensure that the roads are brought back to the standard if not to its original state, after they have completed the work they have been doing.
“I want everything to be carefully planned and that they work with the SLTA for the benefit of the pedestrians and vehicles that use the roads,” Minister Derjacques said.
Mr Herath said although with the economic difficulties that have affected its budget, the agency will work to complete ongoing projects and as from 2022, the planned projects will be prioritised before being carried out, based on the budget received.
Minister Derjacques also took the opportunity to visit the future headquarters of the SLTA which will be housed in a building under construction at Ile du Port.
He noted that the SLTA building at Huteau Lane is old and no longer provides a conducive working environment for the staff.
He added that the agency will sustain its rent for the whole of next year from savings made.
The SLTA is expected to move in its new headquarters early next year.
The accompanying photos show some highlights of Minister Derjacques’ visits yesterday.
Text and photos by Patrick Joubert
