Construction on the South Leeward Highway should be a collaboration between the Ministry of Transport and Works and the Ministry of Agriculture, suggests Clive “Bish-I” Bishop.

The agronomist told SEARCHLIGHT this week that it was his hope that the engineers are aware of the different soil types that exist along the route, and that every effort would be taken to ensure that the road is built to the highest standard.{{more}}

Using an area between Campden Park and Questelles as an example, Bishop said that care and attention should be paid when constructing the road in that area.

“These people are going to be cutting soon and I hope they understand the geology of that soil, because that is what they call “dry rock.”

“When I was a youth walking from Campden Park to Questelles school in the dry season, there used to be landslides there without any rain because the soil contracts in the dry season; so when it contracts, it pulls away from material and the stones just slide down.

“They could cut, but they have to know how to cut it from certain angles; they cannot cut it vertically; they have to cut it diagonally and they have to make sure that they have it in a step-like area where you could still put vegetation on that border to hold it up and they should cut several feet in from the road in case anything should fall it wouldn’t go into the road,” Bishop suggested.

Bishop said that there was a history of rapid drainage in the area, and an adequate drainage system should be put in place to accommodate the water flow.

“….The rain does not stay on the hillside; it runs off into the drains from the sharp and nearby cliffs that we have, so they have to build a drainage system that can take that.

“They also have to make sure that the rate of run-off is not excessive by having people like the Ministry of Agriculture/ Forestry, put in the necessary grass and water barriers in that area because you are going to protect the roads in the long term and you have to be aware of the soil types they would have to cut that area and in cutting that area they would get a lot of material to build the same retaining walls they need so the materials won’t be wasted.

“So, this should be a collaboration between the Ministry of Transport and Works and the Ministry of Agriculture if they are to get it right.”

The construction of the South Leeward highway got started last month, and is expected to take about a year to complete.

The South Leeward highway project stretches from the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital in Kingstown to the post office in Layou.(JJ)