Gov’t using international standards for Paraquita Bay road project

Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer said the government is following international standards on road construction, even as it grapples with major delays on the stretch of road between Paraquita Bay and Hodges Creek.

Rymer addressed concerns about the width of the new road. He explained that the old road ranged between 22 to 28 feet wide and the completed road will be approximately 26 to 28 feet, inclusive of drainage works.

“The actual roadway will be 22 feet in width,” he said, noting that the finished project will give the impression of a wider road. He added that this is consistent with international guidelines, where standard lane widths are approximately 11 feet in Europe and 12 feet in the United States.

The project, which began in September 2024, has been delayed by nearly a year. Rymer explained that early challenges, including flawed design work and conflicting survey data, led to a ‘real world’ six-month suspension of work.

“Deficiencies in original design and inaccuracies in the survey data led to a six-month suspension of works in 2024 as the designs had to be redeveloped and corrected to reflect accurate site conditions,” Rymer stated.

He added that there were “discrepancies between the survey data held by the Public Works Department and that provided by the contractor,” as well as changes to the road elevation that required modifications to the engineering designs.

The minister also pointed to land access issues during construction. “The project faced relief issues with some property owners that required resolution during the execution of the project,” he explained.

Despite the delays, Rymer said the works were necessary to “ensure the integrity and long-term viability of the infrastructure being delivered.”

Eighth District Representative Marlon Penn pressed Rymer on the lack of preparation ahead of the project. “Can the Minister confirm issues like relief, survey data and the likes, aren’t those things that should be ironed out before a project even goes out to tender?” he asked.

Rymer admitted the oversight, stating, “I do agree… I would presume that those things would have been done, but we were faced with them. Moving forward, we would know to do better due diligence.”

When asked if the project was poorly managed from the start, Rymer responded, “We’ve acknowledged that there were some delays. We acknowledge some of the challenges. These are things that happen in the real world. You learn from these things and you definitely move forward.”