During a week when The Gleaner has been focusing on the state of the road network in the Rio Grande Valley, transport minister Mike Henry yesterday told journalists that work was set to start shortly.

The valley has been beset by tragedies over the past nine months. In December of last year 14 people were killed when a truck overturned in the valley.

"Without doubt, the tragedy that happened in the valley last year, continues to linger in our minds," Henry said.

The minister revealed that the stretch of road network in the Rio Grande Valley measures 33 kilometres.

He disclosed that it would cost the Government $20 million per kilometre to rebuild, bringing the total dollar figure to in excess of $600 million.

Without the bridge

Henry said that bridge reconstruction had not been fitted into the $600-million budget.

"The overall challenge is big, especially now, but I, as minister, have never recoiled from such challenges, and it is against this background that I have had the National Works Agency put together a programme of work for the comprehensive rehabilitation of roadways in the Rio Grande Valley," Henry said.

This programme, for which we are now working to identify funding, will result in a tremendous difference in the quality of the road network in the area.

Henry said the Rio Grande bridge was scheduled to arrive in the island this week.

He said the new bridge would be 210 metres in length, which would make it the longest bridge in the island.

The minister said it was projected that the bridge would be constructed within 18 months.

Henry disclosed that the corresponding contracts had gone to tender.

In addition, the minister revealed that construction of Alligator Church Bridge was scheduled to start this week.

"Since assuming office, we have attempted, in an incremental way, to bring some measure of reliability and safety to roads in the area," Henry said.