A frustrated Antigua resident has written to Antigua News Room condemning what they describe as a prolonged failure of planning, supervision, and accountability by the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) and the Public Works Department (PWD) in the Newfield area.
According to Antigua News Room, the letter writer states that APUA dug up roads in Newfield and laid pipes that remain unconnected, leaving residents to contend with deteriorating road conditions and dust for months — with no water supply to show for the disruption.
The resident also highlights ongoing works on the road between Friars Hill Road and Marble Hill Road, which was first dug up in January. Workers reportedly returned two months ago and spent six weeks constructing a sidewalk on one side of the road. After a month of inactivity, crews have now returned to dig up the road again to install a sidewalk on the opposite side.
The letter writer questions the necessity of the second sidewalk, noting that the road carries minimal pedestrian traffic and that the additional construction is needlessly reducing the width of the roadway.
Perhaps more critically, the resident argues that the root cause of the road damage has not been addressed. They contend that a basic study would have revealed that water runoff from a nearby entertainment complex on weekends is what has been undermining the road surface. Without addressing that issue, the resident warns, the road will simply deteriorate again once works are completed.
"For how much longer will we put up with this nonsense?" the letter writer asks, calling on authorities to take responsibility and implement a coherent plan for infrastructure works across the island.
