According to the Minister, the contractor has given a proposed completion date, which falls within the initially planned first quarter 2024 date. King says the government desires a completed highway of high quality for the people of Saint Lucia. Prior to this announcement, citizens took to social media to voice their dissatisfaction with the condition of the incomplete highway.

“They have given us a commitment that the project will finish in March of 2024 and we are holding them to that promise. We believe that notwithstanding all of the frustrations that it has imposed on many of us, we’re hoping that at the end of the day, the project will be delivered as a quality project and within budget,” King stated.

The contractor resumed work on the project on Monday, October 30, 2023, after a prolonged hiatus. King, who explained the abrupt stop to the work, says the contractor appears to be in a better position to complete the highway as planned.

“The contractor, as I indicated before, encountered some issues and was forced to allow their workers to be laid off; to allow them to organise themselves to get the necessary resources to get back onto the project,” the Infrastructure Minister said.

King disclosed that the Ministry has already met with the funding agency, the CDB, and the contractor to determine the way forward. “We have met with the CDB and the contractor. On Friday last week (Oct. 27, 2023) we met with the contractor, the consultant, and the project office and we were satisfied that they have put all systems in place and promised to return to work on Monday (Oct. 30, 2023), which they did,” he said.

King added that in the coming year, the government will take an “aggressive” approach to the road networks in Saint Lucia.