The Tribune

By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A Cabinet minister last night said “unconventional solutions” are required to resolve the flooding woes routinely experienced in New Providence.


Clay Sweeting, minister of works and Family Island affairs, told a Town Hall meeting for the Coral Harbour road and drainage improvement project that there is a comprehensive flood mitigation plan for New Providence. 

A full assessment has been conducted to identify areas prone to flooding, locations where building codes need updating, and sites where structures were built too low.


The minister said the project team has been working for over a year on the plan for Coral Harbour, and is implementing technical solutions such as pumping stations and lift stations to manage flooding. 

The project aims to address these challenges with solutions that ensure the road and surrounding areas can better withstand extreme weather events.


“I'm sure, over the past few months, with the amount of rainfall, persons in this area were quite frustrated. They had to park their cars and get in big trucks to come out this way. The team has been working for, I think, at least over a year on this project, and they will be able to share some of the technical components in regards to pumping stations and lift stations and all of that,” said Mr Sweeting.


“But unprecedented weather developments require unconventional solutions, and that's what this project has.” Mr Sweeting said necessary approvals have been completed, including the procurement stage at the Ministry of Finance, and Cabinet approval. 


He added that the contract is now ready, and he expects construction work to begin within the next few days, with surveying and preparatory work already completed.


“I know a lot of times you have town meetings and you say, nothing can happen. Just talk about it, and nothing happens afterwards. But we have a contractor here, and I'm glad to say that the project has already passed at the committee stage at the Ministry of Works, passed the procurement stage at the Ministry of Finance, and Tuesday was approved by Cabinet,” said Mr Sweeting.


“So the contract is well ready to go, and we hope within the next few days you'll see some action on the ground. We've already did the surveying and other components that need to be done.” 

The project comes in the run-up to the Golden Isles by-election - a constituency that includes Coral Harbour.
Mr Sweeting said the project aims primarily to alleviate long-term flooding by installing new drainage infrastructure to ensure the main Coral Harbour thoroughfare can handle heavy rainfall.


In addition to standard infrastructure, the project will use pumping stations that will operate automatically when water reaches a certain level, diverting it to designated areas determined by engineers and helping to manage and control floodwaters effectively.


Mr Sweeting said that in Coral Harbour, engineers will likely divert water to the canals, while in other areas of New Providence the project may use underground cavities below the water table to allow water to naturally dissipate.


“I think, in Coral Harbour, it will be to the canal, and other areas around New Providence we are looking at possibly going below the water table and larger cavities on the ground, which would then allow water to just dissipate underground in areas that you don't have canals to push the water to. So, this is new technology in regards to utilising it in The Bahamas, so I'm excited about that,” said Mr Sweeting.


The project also aims to improve road safety. For motorists, this will include enhanced striping, signage and reflective markings, while pedestrian safety will also be a key focus. 

The project is expected to take 12 months to complete.