We've heard so many times about the paving of Neal's Pen Road and Jane Usher Boulevard - in fact, we've heard it so much it's reached broken record status - or if you live and drive on those streets, that would be broken front end status!
But at long last, Works Minister Anthony Boots Martinez tells us that the final approval has come from OPEC, the contracts will be signed on Monday, and after that, the work will finally begin.
Today he told us it's a relief after all this time:..
Anthony Boots Martinez, Works Minister
"This other phase... well we got approval for the completion of Neal's Pen road with side walk and drainage, Jane Usher Boulevard and the canal from Yabra Bridge to the fish market."
"It was approved by OPEC today and we will be signing the contract on Monday, and work should begin by the next week. So I should say that by the end of January physical works should be going on on all those streets simultaneously - including the lining of the canal. We anticipate by the end of the month."
Jules Vasquez
"You do realize that you promised this a number of times, and the residents of this area have been waiting. They feel in vain for a long time."
Anthony Boots Martinez, Works Minister
"Well I am saying that, the thing is here, we have gotten prior approval; we have all gotten confirmed approval of the contractors for the various areas."
"The lining of the canal is $9.868, 524.050. Neal's Pen road is $2,791,181 and Jane Usher Boulevard is $1,711,776.25."
Jules Vasquez
"So in total about 13 million?"
Anthony Boots Martinez, Works Minister
"About 13 million."
Jules Vasquez
"Now how many people will be employed for this project?"
Anthony Boots Martinez, Works Minister
"Well, we are negotiation the contractors. They say in my estimation, about 300 people will be employed."
Jules Vasquez
"I know that when I go around, some of the most passionate complaints I hear about the Port Loyola representative has to do with Neal's Pen road and Jean Usher."
Anthony Boots Martinez, Works Minister
"I was looking forward to [it]. I don't think anyone was more excited than me myself as the representative because, you know, we were looking forward to make sure these streets really needed help, and so it's a big relief for us. It's a big relief for us in the city, and also too politically it's a big relieve, it's a huge relief."
This is the second phase of the infrastructure component of the Southside project; the first dealt with drainage and the paving of Western Avenue.
