The Hannah / Sea Cows Bay Sidewalk Project
The Sidewalk project is to address the threat posed to pedestrians by the most dangerous stretch of Drake’s Highway, by installing a piece of sidewalk which will serve to connect Sea Cows Bay and Hannah Bay.
For years this treacherous condition has prohibited Nanny Cay Guests from strolling up to Sea Cows Bay for evening entertainment; it has caused residents of Sea Cows Bay to forego walking to Hannah’s to shop at the only two supermarkets in the whole of Sea Cows Bay and Hannah’s.
And it is needless to say what people doing their walking exercise thinks about it.
The existence of this condition has done significant damage to the District’s economy, as entertainment establishments in Sea Cows Bay has either closed, or made to subsist as a result of the inability of Nanny Cay guests to patronize them.
Likewise, businesses in Hannah’s have not been able to realize their true potential, because Sea Cows Bay residents were not free to walk without threat to Hannah’s.
The road as it was had no shoulders, so if an individual or group was walking along that stretch of road and they felt that their safety was threatened, they would have to choose between dying by jumping over the embankment, or dying by being hit by car.
Frankly speaking, what sealed the deal for me was after hearing persons complain about the need for a sidewalk, was one morning as I was about to leave home for work, I saw a gentleman patiently waiting for me, so naturally I enquired of him how best could I be of help.
The gentleman said to me that he was walking with his wife and while in this very area a vehicle came dangerously close to making her a statistic, and that he had sent her home to nurse some wounds she had suffered, while he came straight to my house to put the matter to me.
In his current state of mind, there were some other things said, which I won’t say here, but if it is your wish to here them I can tell you at some later time.
Bearing in mind that I am a District Representative, I am fully cognizant that I don’t have the luxury of being able to go around trying to discourage projects like these that are good for the people of the territory from happening.
Shortly after that wakeup visit from that man I started to address the issue, contracts for the works were issued in 2009, but the works were only able to get started at the end of June 2010.
I confess it is not as if I was not aware of the situation, for ever since 1992 while I lived in Palestina and worked in Sea Cows Bay, I knew that it was a 15 minute walk I dare not take, and why? It was because of the lack of a sidewalk.
I remember when I got elected in 1999 the only thing I asked the Chief Minister for was some money to put in sidewalks in my District. The Chief Minister obliged, and I was successful in placing sidewalks from the well in Albion going west to the very end of Sea Cows Bay, leaving this gap, and picking up at Nanny Cay entrance all the way west to the Palestina Bridge.
I think it is time that the dangers posed at this stretch of road are eliminated once and for all.
For the very reason this stretch of road had no shoulders we were required to seek the cooperation of adjacent landowners for permission to widen the roadway on the condition that their land be protected, thus the need for retaining walls.
Mr. Speaker, anyone who had the misfortune to drive between the Supermarket in Hannah’s and the St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Sea Cows Bay in periods of heavy rain such as the ones experienced early in the month of July 2010, will agree the flooding conditions in that area has got to be the worst anywhere on Drakes Highway, so therefore some drainage was addressed with the introduction of some culvert crossings.
The completed project will include some roadwork as a result of the damages done during construction.
For years this treacherous condition has prohibited Nanny Cay Guests from strolling up to Sea Cows Bay for evening entertainment; it has caused residents of Sea Cows Bay to forego walking to Hannah’s to shop at the only two supermarkets in the whole of Sea Cows Bay and Hannah’s.
And it is needless to say what people doing their walking exercise thinks about it.
The existence of this condition has done significant damage to the District’s economy, as entertainment establishments in Sea Cows Bay has either closed, or made to subsist as a result of the inability of Nanny Cay guests to patronize them.
Likewise, businesses in Hannah’s have not been able to realize their true potential, because Sea Cows Bay residents were not free to walk without threat to Hannah’s.
The road as it was had no shoulders, so if an individual or group was walking along that stretch of road and they felt that their safety was threatened, they would have to choose between dying by jumping over the embankment, or dying by being hit by car.
Frankly speaking, what sealed the deal for me was after hearing persons complain about the need for a sidewalk, was one morning as I was about to leave home for work, I saw a gentleman patiently waiting for me, so naturally I enquired of him how best could I be of help.
The gentleman said to me that he was walking with his wife and while in this very area a vehicle came dangerously close to making her a statistic, and that he had sent her home to nurse some wounds she had suffered, while he came straight to my house to put the matter to me.
In his current state of mind, there were some other things said, which I won’t say here, but if it is your wish to here them I can tell you at some later time.
Bearing in mind that I am a District Representative, I am fully cognizant that I don’t have the luxury of being able to go around trying to discourage projects like these that are good for the people of the territory from happening.
Shortly after that wakeup visit from that man I started to address the issue, contracts for the works were issued in 2009, but the works were only able to get started at the end of June 2010.
I confess it is not as if I was not aware of the situation, for ever since 1992 while I lived in Palestina and worked in Sea Cows Bay, I knew that it was a 15 minute walk I dare not take, and why? It was because of the lack of a sidewalk.
I remember when I got elected in 1999 the only thing I asked the Chief Minister for was some money to put in sidewalks in my District. The Chief Minister obliged, and I was successful in placing sidewalks from the well in Albion going west to the very end of Sea Cows Bay, leaving this gap, and picking up at Nanny Cay entrance all the way west to the Palestina Bridge.
I think it is time that the dangers posed at this stretch of road are eliminated once and for all.
For the very reason this stretch of road had no shoulders we were required to seek the cooperation of adjacent landowners for permission to widen the roadway on the condition that their land be protected, thus the need for retaining walls.
Mr. Speaker, anyone who had the misfortune to drive between the Supermarket in Hannah’s and the St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Sea Cows Bay in periods of heavy rain such as the ones experienced early in the month of July 2010, will agree the flooding conditions in that area has got to be the worst anywhere on Drakes Highway, so therefore some drainage was addressed with the introduction of some culvert crossings.
The completed project will include some roadwork as a result of the damages done during construction.
