Government Moves Ahead on All Saints Road Works, Bypassing AmDex Delays

The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has directed the Ministry of Works to begin rehabilitation of All Saints Road, sidestepping ongoing bureaucratic delays tied to a broader road improvement agreement with Canadian firm AmDex.

Director General of Communications in the Office of the Prime Minister, Maurice Merchant, announced the decision Thursday following Cabinet's weekly meeting. He confirmed that equipment, materials, and personnel were already being mobilised, with works expected to begin next week.

"Every day, ministers get complaints. Every day on social media, people complain about All Saints Road. And so, the government feels, 'hey, enough is enough,'" Merchant said.

The move comes as negotiations with AmDex remain stalled. The Canadian firm was originally engaged to carry out 11 miles of road improvements under a programme backed by an EC$100 million loan facility. Merchant attributed the delays to the bureaucratic processes tied to that financing arrangement.

"The bureaucracy involved has proven to be very tedious," he said, adding that the government was unwilling to leave All Saints Road unattended while those processes ran their course.

Merchant was clear that shifting All Saints Road to the Ministry of Works does not reduce the total scope of work assigned to AmDex. The remaining routes — the Burning Flames Highway, Jonas Road, and additional roads — still account for the original 11-mile total, with negotiations continuing.

"While the bureaucracy continues with AmDex, the shift is just for other areas that are not as urgent as All Saints Road because of the urgency of All Saints Road," Merchant said. "Public Works says, hey, we have the capacity."

Road users are being urged to exercise caution and cooperate with traffic management measures during the construction period.

The All Saints Road rehabilitation forms part of a broader national infrastructure strategy that has seen road improvement works carried out across communities throughout Antigua and Barbuda in recent years, including overnight and early morning construction to minimise disruption to daily traffic.