Govt to rehabilitate Silver Hill’s main access road

Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, has assured swift intervention to address the deteriorating condition of Silver Hill’s main access road along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.

Minister Edghill made the announcement during an engagement with the residents and operators on Tuesday.

This follows concerns raised by the community’s chairperson regarding the impact of nearby loam pits.

Despite attempts to designate separate lanes for residents and truckers, the agreement fell through as truckers persisted in using both lanes.

In response, Minister Edghill has mandated the operators of the loam pits to undertake immediate rehabilitation and maintenance of the vital access road.

“I have gotten the operators of the loam pit to agree to do some immediate and remedial work and maintenance on the road from the highway to the entrance of the scheme. This time around they will not just put on the loam but they will have to compact it. So that we can get better access,” the minister stated.

He highlighted the increasing loam traffic and emphasised the need for a long-term solution, suggesting the separation of access to the loam pit from residents’ routes.

To this end, engineers from the ministry were swiftly dispatched on Tuesday to assess the area for potential alternate routes and to examine the scope of necessary works.

Moreover, Minister Edghill outlined additional measures to be implemented in response to concerns of noise pollution.  

These include the imposition of a 15-mile-per-hour speed limit and the enforcement of locked tailgates on trucks.

Signs are set to be erected immediately with law enforcement mobilised to ensure truckers are compliant.

Minister Edghill affirmed that failure by the loam pit operators to fulfil their commitments will result in actions, including suspension of operations by the Ministry of Natural Resources Geology and Mines Commission.

Editor’s note: A “loam pit operator” is someone responsible for managing or operating a loam pit. A loam pit is a location where loam, which is a fertile soil composed of a balanced mixture of sand, silt, and clay, is extracted.