E-W Road poses major flood and eco-threats

| 09/03/2021 | 105 Comments
NRA Director Edward Howard showing route of road extension

(CNS): An environmental impact assessment on the East-West Arterial is critical, according to information revealed in a scoping document by the Department of Environment. Government’s plan to build the road from Woodland Drive to Lookout Gardens poses a major flood risk for residents, threatens the very future of the Central Mangrove Wetlands and, in turn, the North Sound.

Although Infrastructure Minister Joey Hew wants the National Conservation Council to just green light that phase, he has been told that an EIA is essential. Government had been advised since 2005 that building the East-West Arterial beyond Woodland Drive will likely require an EIA.

The road poses significant environmental challenges, including the risk of serious flooding of surrounding residential areas, threats to the freshwater lens and Grand Cayman’s entire ecosystem. But government has taken no steps to begin the process, despite information it has received from its technical experts at the DoE.

The road continues to be controversial because the route was gazetted before any consideration had been given to the massive environmental damage it will cause. In 2016 the DoE recommended, and the NCC formally confirmed the need for, an EIA because the route poses serious challenges and may even need to be redirected.

But despite the clear direction, no effort has been made to plan for an EIA. Even when private sector developers were proposing to finance the road in order to link a stalled golf-course project and all parties, including the premier, acknowledge the need for this EIA, no work towards that end was advanced.

In 2019, when government made the decision to finance the stretch of road between Hirst Road and Woodland Drive itself, it still made no effort to progress the necessary EIA, even though the DoE had stated again that the part of the extension located in primary habitat would potentially have significant adverse impacts on flooding and drainage.

The DoE agreed last year that an EIA for the stretch of road that the National Roads Authority has now started to Woodland Drive would not be necessary, largely because this stretch of the road crosses already developed land. However, the DoE said the NRA will still need to consider the very real flooding threats and address those in the engineering.

In a memo in December 2019, the DoE experts said that there may be adverse impacts on flooding due to the construction of the Savannah bypass.

“We strongly recommend that the road should be informed by an appropriate engineering design which ensures that the road does not flood properties within the existing Frank Hall Homes subdivision immediately west of the proposed road corridor,” they warned.

Since 2005, the technical experts have said on numerous occasions that the real difficulties lie beyond Woodland Drive. The flooding risk for the next stretch to Lookout Gardens will be far greater than the one posed on the current phase. Then there are a catalogue of serious environmental threats that have to be carefully considered and should form part of a public consultation.

The DoE produced a scoping opinion in October 2019 for the NCC outlining some of the very obvious concerns about the road that are clear even before any detailed environmental assessment work has been done.

The proposed road, the DoE found, could act as a damn. Experts believe that the Central Mangrove Wetland will be deprived of water, fundamentally disrupting the unique ecosystem. The damning effect will then cause the water that no longer flows to the mangroves flood the areas to the south of the road, damaging other environments as well as people’s homes.

“An EIA is required to investigate these effects so that they can appropriately be avoided, minimized or mitigated,” the DoE said in the scoping opinion.

Making it clear that the EIA is imperative, the department said there is an increased risk of flooding to homes in the areas of Newlands, Savannah, Wil T Drive and Lookout Gardens. At the same time, the opinion outlines the problems a decrease in water going to the Central Mangrove Wetland, the ecological heart of Grand Cayman, will have. The experts warned that it is likely to pose significant consequences for the health of the wider environment, including the North Sound, which is directly linked to the wetland.

In addition, there would likely be a negative impact on the Lower Valley freshwater lens that would also need to be examined as part of a full EIA, the DoE said.

Both Premier Alden McLaughlin and Minister Hew have both on occasions implied that the delay on this road is the fault of the NCC. Yet both men and government officials have been fully aware that this road must be the subject of an EIA to avoid the risk of flooding out a significant number of homes and destroying the most critical part of Cayman’s natural environment, which could have a disastrous ecological impact across the entire island.

But to date nothing has been progressed on the EIA and the DoE said that it has not been directed to draw up terms of reference.

CNS requested details about the situation regarding the EIA following the announcement this week that government has begun work on the Savannah bypass and still wants to press on with the additional phase to Lookout Gardens without an EIA.

The DoE released the technical documents on request but noted that it would need to check for other related documents under the FOI law before it could releases them all. But officials said they would do so as soon as they could.

The issues of roads and development in general are playing an important part in this election. Once seen as an election winner, building roads is no longer the vote-getter it once was. Residents are becoming increasingly aware that the country cannot asphalt its way out of the current traffic problems and that investing in public transport may be far more beneficial.

Voters are also becoming increasingly knowledgeable about the environment and recognising its intrinsic value. They are also aware of the interconnection between ecosystems, the importance of carbon sequestering, the protections mangroves offer against sea-level rise and how the central wetland fuels other habitat, including our marine environment.

EIAs present an important opportunity for public consultation, and given the consequences of building out the East-West Arterial extension, the public consultation as well as the technical work will play a key part in informing the next government’s decision about the future of this road and whether it will provide a solution or compound the problem.

See relevant documents in the CNS Library.


Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Tags: , , , , ,

Category: development, Local News

Comments (105)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Anonymous says:

    How can you educated people not see all the cows, chickens go through one gate. If you want half of them go through the other gate place food on the other half. Then there will be less traffic. I am trying to make this simple.
    Infrastructure needs to be built in the middle of the island. Commercial spaces, Government offices, bars, restaurants, etc. Then the people from Eastern Districts don’t need to go to town. I believe around Frank Sound would be a good place to start.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Look at the track of land (44 acres to be exact) by the Island Heritage roundabout…that was PURE MANGROVE wetland. Now it’s flat. Another high-end development for the rich. Why weren’t there any outcry about that clearing??!! It’s absolutely hypocritical of some of the people who claim to be environmentalists.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Does anyone have a concrete example example from Cayman, North America, or Europe where building a new road, expanding the number of lanes was effective, and didnt just move the bottleneck 25 miles further down the stretch?

    If it did solve the problem, try overlay the solution on to Cayman, but remember to amplify your projections due to the extremely short distances? What’s the outcome? Would you need a 12 lane roadway to solve the congestion? Or a 20 lane?

    The constraints of a small land mass should make it obvious whether piece meal road construction will ever be the solution.

  4. Anonymous says:

    If we want to “save” the environment on this island, we will have to stop this open door policy we have with immigration. This island cannot take on everyone. Funny how these very same people are now the ones screaming about saving Cayman’s environment.

    This road will be built. No way around that fact. If flooding is the concern, culverts can solve that.

  5. ANOTHER MODE, PLEASE ! says:

    STOP CUTTING OUR TREES. STOP LOOKING AT COST. We simply need to invest in a another mode of transportation – like a “Cayman Metrorail” that runs through town to the eastern districts. Adding more bus on the road, creating more roads, won’t stop people from buying cars. And it won’t stop population increase. So, please lets have a metrorail. Stop the cost crap. Its going to get worse if we kill ecosystem!

    • Anonymous says:

      smh … I can’t stand commenters here talking about it will cost to much when this will be a National Crises along with the dump!

  6. Eastern Traveler says:

    This article represents nothing more than scare tactics! It’s irresponsible and misinformed reporting by CNS. The east west arterial route has existed as part of a long term plan by Govt since 2005. It is absolutely false that Govt is doing nothing about pursuing an EIA and DOE officials should be held accountable for telling such a boldface lie. I have it on good authority that the Environmental Assessment Board includes officials from the NRA and that NRA played an instrumental role in crafting the EIA scoping document and that preliminary discussions have been held with EAB regarding the required format of the EIA.
    Those of us who live east of Bodden Town know too well the hell we face commuting to work on a single lane road that is congested due to the fact that drivers coming in from the east are delayed by traffic from major communities in BT, SAV and Prospect who also have to share the same lanes….A bypass that serves the eastern districts is critical. The bypass also opens up interior lands for future generations and also serves as a emergency route during natural disasters. The issues raised by DOE concerning overland flow are easily remedied through eco friendly stormwater design. In fact the road itself can act as a drainage conveyance by utilizing culverts that direct runoff to holding ponds or canals. This whole notion that one bypass road will ruin the entire ecology of the island is false. More attention should be paid to the thousands of acres of private lands that are slated for development in the Red Bay, Prospect and Savannah and Northward areas that will deplete remaining natural basins..These developments will get greenlighted by the Planning Authority with or without the bypass road…then we will have major flooding and even worse traffic jams. I agree wholeheartedly that we cannot build our way out of congestion but I also know that the solution for sustainable growth (especially) on the eastern ends of the island will include a multi pronged transportation solution that include various strategies already addressed by many but also there needs to be some level of increased road capacity to help eastern district developments become more accessible both in terms of increased connectivity and reduced travel time. Its funny how some people commenting on here are saying in one breath that the EW bypass will destroy the environment but in another breath are advocating for causeways and overpasses that will require massive dredging in the sea and destruction of inland property (including entire neighborhoods) in order to implement. Every eastern district representative should be wholly in support of the EW bypass road as it is critical to the future success of development and to quality of life for EE and NS residents. This is not a cruise dock with tourists coming in for a day…this is for our people and for the present and future economy of the eastern districts.

    • Anonymous says:

      Scoping Report is dated 2019, see the CNS library.

      The purpose of the EIA is to identify the eco friendly stormwater design to be used.

      It’s like you read the headline, got angry and didn’t read the article.

  7. Anonymous says:

    Most of you have never set foot in swampland so you don’t know its alway flooded, especially in the Central Wetland. If climate is going to change and the water is rising then wasting time for an EIA is true. If we want more water in the Aquifer than direct it there with canals simple. Why we have to claim we need a study when we have had studies after studies is trying to stop a major industry of this country. People have been blocking wealth sharing for years and years and have caused this traffic problem and more. Why didn’t we allow Ironwood, Health City the road that has been gazetted from 40 years ago. Twenty miles of new road would have opened up all the way to East End. It could have been 6 lanes. Bicycle races, Annual car races, faster commutes, cheaper house lots, a straighter road, less accidents, sidewalks for all new development, larger lots for commercial enterprises, etc, etc. We keep talking, talking do we need a plan or a study to create a wheel? If you do someone has already copied it straight from the library to the internet. We have the largest Aquifer in East End we could have use that for larger scale farming its 800 feet deep 200 feet of freshwater. Want to buy land, their it would save you on water? That is a natural resource that people can use. You have been blocked by laws that don’t stop one foreign investor. But it will stop you, your children and your grandchildren, isn’t that true? You can’t go in the bush and build a gingerbread house or an outhouse with a Kerosene lamp. So we created laws to improve and keep poor people out. Well, there’s a price to pay for that, all of these laws, it’s become more and more expensive. Thats why going East is the solution.
    But as I said before people have already mapped out all the land heights of every sq. in of this island we already have experts here who can tell you where you need to put a canal, culvert drain pipes, etc. Let’s start from this election and get politicians that don’t waste time, get things that they say they going to do. Lets make a law that Government guanrantees landowner a 30 ft right-away through large acreage of land. If Government is building a road through your land which will increase its value no compensation. Fair is fair

  8. Anonymous says:

    I agree this road is necessary but not at the risk of flooding the homes in the area. Most of these homes because of the cheaper inland land are those belonging to those at the lower end of the income scale who cannot afford the damages that will happen to their homes because of the flooding.

    Build the roads on pilings or a bridge over the land like the bridge over the water from the Upper to Lower Keys in the States. Can you imagine if the US Government had just decided to destroy the waterways and put in a road.

    There are ways of doing this but Joey doesn’t know how to think outside the box..Maybe he should speak to his old boss Mose about the piling he and Alden were going to use to build the docks..the major difference here is that there would be no reason to dredge and there would be minimal impact on the environment.

  9. Saretactics says:

    The DOE and the NCC are both just raising scare tactics. After they have allowed hundreds of miles of roads to be built to service thousands of home and apartments, they are now objecting to a road to get to the eastern districts under the pretence that it will damage the envioronment and cause flooding. So why did they not object to the people building homes on that side of the island. Makes no sense.

  10. Anonymous says:

    Roses are red,
    Violets are blue,
    More roads lead to 1,
    Still stuck in cue.

    More lanes or roads won’t do anything until the horsey farm area is sorted or a bridge from Savannah to Camana happens.

    • Anonymous says:

      Saw one rendering of Cayman in 2077 yesterday that had Rum point connected to Camana bay area. Almost exactly what you’re talking about. I hope it wasn’t based on real plans..

  11. Anonymous says:

    Just wait until all those new developments around Grand Harbour are finished…

  12. Anonymous says:

    For God’s sake, please complete the additional 2 lanes on Bobby Thompson Way and connect it to Linford Pierson Highway! How any decades has that land dispute been going on while the motoring public suffers?

    • Anonymous says:

      Perhaps double lanes through south sound/walkers road area or a widening of crewe road need to be considered if that dispute isn’t resolved sooner.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Where is Johann and his environmental crew now?

  14. Alden's Corrupt Government says:

    Climate Change and sea level rise is only double Talk for the UK and Alden and Joey and this entire Government and some of these Candidates are merely Tools in the colonial Shed! Please wake Up Cayman! see the rising tide and earthquakes in Cayman and elsewhere! 30-31 March 2021 has the highest recorded tides for this year.

  15. ppm Distress Signal says:

    Easy solution stop this population expansion Bullshit! Cayman is not for everyone, why and who are we destroying our environment for? What is the Plan for Caymanians?? Vote for change Cayman on 14th April 2021

  16. Catcha Fire says:

    Good Governance Transparency and sustainability do we all remember those famous Ppm campaign slogans all gone now when they hit the MONEY JACKPOT $$$ So Infact all they wanted to do was replace our Political extortionist and their nemesis Mckeewa who they have now incorporated into their Regime which is doing the same damn thing only difference is they pay the colonial power to play! With economic opportunities jobs ,contracts financial information whatever it takes to keep them happy and satisfied .The problem is it’s at our expense and to the detriment of our children’s future and our environment now! That is why when ever we raise concerns we are conveniently reminded and even threatened that we are still a colony aka Territory.The current situation with the current convicted speaker of our parliament is poignant reminder of just how Cozy this arrangement is with our Colonial Master so Cozy that they will look the other way and compromise us and allow political and financial corruption to exist so long as they benefit from it . This is the New Colonial Deal we just have to keep up our end of bargain by maintaining status quo and their political and economic agenda. In turn they are no doubt providing whatever assistance our political Rats need to do so. Vote for Cayman on 14 April 2021 not for politicians who are selling us out ! Please Vote For a Change Cayman !

  17. Anonymous says:

    The road is needed – yes. However, how interesting they have knows about the need for an EIA for years and leave it until now – weeks before the election to want to get started on the road. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander … get the EIA done.

    • Anonymous says:

      If it is known that flooding will be caused, then a water management/drain well system needs to be added…

  18. Anonymous says:

    Leaving just after 6am, Bodden Town to George Town is a 2 hour journey, with a very significant and serious deterioration just this week in traffic problems.

    Something has recently changed, possibly school buses leaving earlier, but the reality is that to be in GT by 8, folks in the east are going to have to set off well before 6am.

    Completely insane, and the traffic cops need to be out in force to keep order as there is going to be a serious incident very soon, born out of frustration and anger. Already drivers are using the wrong side of the road to skip the queue, are aggressively pushing in, and just this morning there was some tailgating behind an ambulance.

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes, traffic has been even worse! What is happening?? More roads leading to smaller ones is not a solution!

      • Anonymous says:

        Couple of rear ended fender benders. Just before Hurleys & ALT roundabouts on Monday. Ambulance just before Hurleys this morning.
        Even without that, multiple lanes bottle next at Hurleys & again at the urging stacked/Jose’s gas station. Those areas need urgent attention, not more lanes bottle necking into the choke zones.

      • Anonymous says:

        Another Joey Who stroke of genius that is a complete disaster. Failure and lies are his legacy

  19. Anonymous says:

    So the DoE isn’t against the road, just wants it to be designed so it doesn’t flood homes, and this is somehow being vilified.

  20. Anonymous says:

    More scare mongering … par for the course lately! There’s no rocket science here; >40% OF THE ISLANDS POPULATION is log-jammed in traffic daily for up to 3hrs (2 way commute): THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.
    IF an EIA is required then crack on with it, but let’s get this done. There will always be pros/cons to any development and the parties simply need to sit-down and determine what level of ‘pain’ is acceptable and then move forward. Say what you want about PPM, at least they have taken it upon themselves to tackle the HARD issues and the ones that classic politician just like to tumble along and kick the can every so often for sound effects …. dump, port, roads, COVID and more; these aren’t easy topics but we have to come to terms with them and not simply stifle every venture for the sake of objecting.

    • Anonymous says:

      Everyone screaming for the road, now everyone screaming it will harm “the environment”.
      Those who live in the East want it, those living in big houses in South Sound against it.

      • D. Truth says:

        And a passel of us who live somewhere else see the problem and don’t want it.

      • Anonymous says:

        “Those living in big houses in South Sound”… How about those living in affordable housing right next to the proposed road that could face increased flooding if the EIA isn’t done or recommendations taken seriously?

        “The environment” isn’t just some bush no one cares about….

      • Anonymous says:

        You do realize this is no where near South Sound right?

    • WhaYaSay! says:

      At least we the people stopped the port redevelopment.
      How about making a real effort on public transport? That is the real short and long term solution, not more roads, and by extension, more vehicles.

    • Anonymous says:

      Sorry, plenty of us live in areas that are already affected by flooding due to the bypass being installed 3-4′ above existing homes. It’s not okay to do this to people, and we aren’t folks living in big mansions either, we are average Caymanians trying to get by like everyone else.

  21. Anonymous says:

    Paving the way for our own extinction.
    Cayman is digging its own grave.

    Biodiversity loss from habitat destruction and chemical pollution will turn Grand Cayman into a waste land where only feral cats and invasive iguanas would thrive.

    I can’t fathom why people of the Cayman Island would not demand public transportation system–buses and ferries.

    I understand CIG has no knowledge, skills and experience to accomplish (or even start) such a project. The initial set up must be done by professionals in the field. Bermuda has expertise and long history of running and effective and efficient public transport system. Canadian expertise is also available.

    Lots of jobs for Caymanians who should already start training, certification and experience, perhaps in Bermuda.

    Does any of the politicians wannabe have a mission to implement public transport system in Cayman?

  22. Anonymous says:

    Why Bali will never be the same again after Covid ravaged the holiday island as new images show the once-bustling beaches and resorts as a barren wasteland.
    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9341235/Why-Bali-never-Covid-tourist-destination-barren-wasteland.html?offset=19&max=100&jumpTo=comment-666708047&reply=666708047#comment-666708047

    Is Cayman next?

  23. Anonymous says:

    You can widen and lengthen the bottle’s base all you want, but all the water reaches the same small bottleneck.

  24. Anonymous says:

    Obviously this is a scare tactic to mention flooding, since EVERYWHERE floods.

    That’s like saying water is wet, fire is hot. BE SCARED and DON”T DO IT!

    seriously.

    • WhaYaSay! says:

      Genius! Climate change is another scare tactic (maybe they should elevate the road so at least your vehicle is safe).

  25. Anonymous says:

    We are all entitled to our own opinions. However, if one noticed that the development now has to go to the east, how in the hell do we do that without having access. Why turn this into a political game. Watch how we bash the current government…there are wolves in sheep’s clothing out there folks….just waiting and hoping to get a slice.

  26. Anonymous says:

    They really need to start thinking about putting in some type of above ground mass transportation facility. We can build as many roads in the east as we want but what happens when we get all of them piling up at the Hurley’s roundabout?

  27. Anonymous says:

    the road to nowhere…

  28. Anonymous says:

    Will DOE want the EIA to see if the road is a financial benefit to the island or not like they tried to suggest for the new hotel? I love DOE but they get way outside of looking after the environment and I am sorry to say have become so political now that I don’t trust what they say. Which ex politician supports them and may get back in this time?

  29. Anonymous says:

    We’re gonna’ walk down through Electric Avenue🎶

  30. Anonymous says:

    Roads don’t cause flooding. Culverts allow water to pass wherever there is a need. Count on DOE to oppose all development. It’s what they do.

    • Anonymous says:

      Agreed. Build culverts as necessary.

      • Anonymous says:

        Okay, how many and where do they go? If only there were some kind of study of the environmental impact of a road…

        • Anonymous says:

          9:11am – I know right!!??!?!?! People don’t seem to realize that an Environmental Impact Assessment will/can advise HOW to build, not necessarily IF.

          Need to start considering roads on stilts.. Sounds silly but something will need to be done since the government is intent on expanding our population. (which we can ill afford since we have NO infrastructure planned beyond the year 1990)

    • MP says:

      That is kind of the point.

      The EIA process (when run efficiently) simply shows that you recognise and have planned for the risks. If you have good engineers who are aware of the area they are building in then it is a smooth process that you should welcome as a chance to show that you’ve done your homework.

      Putting it off for 5 years is indicative that the engineers aren’t good, that risks aren’t planned for, that people are ignoring the characteristics of where they are building.

      Of course, the NRA can easily prove me wrong by publishing that Groundwater EIA chapter.

    • Anonymous says:

      If the road is effectively a dam between the developed land to the south and natural drainage to the north, flooding will occur, as happened in Bodden Town after the bypass was built. Count in DOE to point out avoidable problems before they happen, as is their job.

    • Anonymous says:

      Hmmm like the Cumber Avenue culverts..Poor old Twyla is gone but I am sure if she was still alive you would hear from her in a few months when the rains start about the flooding in that area..

  31. Anonymous says:

    Why not build elevated roadways like is done in the US. I’ve driven through many a bayou and floodplains in the southern US. Why do we always have to destroy everything completely for roads?

  32. Anonymous says:

    Hmm, Difference between clearing and filling land to build subdivisions/roads- NONE, build the dam road as the same land will be filled with houses down the line anyway. Save the swamp!

    • Anonymous says:

      THE ROAD WONT FIX TRAFFIC ISSUES! Why mess up the environment for something that isn’t going to solve our problem with traffic. We need a road from Savannah to Camana to get the traffic spread out and make it easier for people to live out east and work out west.

  33. Anonymous says:

    Build the road sort of like a low bridge. I’ve seen it in many places around the world. The swamps and wet lands can thrive under the road. In Louisiana they build bridges over the wetlands there all the time.

    As someone who lives in BT, we desperately need this road, the traffic is just absolutely terrible.

    • Anonymous says:

      I agree that something needs to be done about traffic, but I’m baffled by your thinking that this road will help. It doesn’t mater how much road you build if it all leads to same bottleneck(s).

    • Anonymous says:

      Yes. A low bridge, culverts, on piles, elevated etc. Good suggestions, how do we know which one to go with?

      How about all these options are considered in some sort of assessment of the environmental impact of the project? An Environmental Impact Assessment, in other words. That would be nice.

  34. Rachel says:

    Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money.
    Cree Indian Prophecy

  35. Anonymous says:

    Well the so called Bodden Town bypass constructed to allow the development of Lookout Gardens has resulted in flooding in parts of Bodden Town that never had them in the past because of the drainage of water so all these developments like Frank Hall homes will just join the rest of us in our misery. Only if we are in the gated communities nowadays…mostly in West Bay.. do we escape these problems and very few real Caymanians live in such places.

  36. Anonymous says:

    More roads that lead to 1 lane roads ARE NOT WORKING.

  37. Slash & Burn says:

    The Lower Valley freshwater lens does not even meet the Water Authority’s criteria for treated sewage. Overdevelopment and non existent oversight of deep disposal septic well drilling and construction have turned it into a cesspool. Just like other vulnerable natural resources in Cayman, they are left to be stripped, exploited and destroyed. These dollar chasers have not protected what is precious, they have stumbled and failed to make the first step towards a sustainable future for these islands. Now Joey is especially receptive of all development plans even if they involve destroying the last vestige of natural habit that remains. Most of our resident population doesn’t care and if they do they only see what’s above the ground and water.

  38. Anonymous says:

    When it comes to the ocean and getting rid of mangroves along the shoreline and preoper building setbacks (insert Balboa Beach anmd Kel Thompson here) I totally agree with DoE. But when it comes to building a road through a swamp I think the threats are less extreme. Likely the only real problem is the flooding issue if houses are nearby and that isn’t a DoE issue. This road needs to be built and there will always be naysayers but I think that when it is built, as with with many other infrastructure projects, we will find that the sky isn’t falling on us afterall. Just like all the churches didn’t burst into flame when the gay marriages (unions) were allowed.

    Fixing the dump is a way more pressing envorinmental issue than this road and I don’t see DoE doing the needed science (can anyone say air quality analysis) around the dump and making the necessary moves to get some action in that corner of the island.

    Gina is a nice lady but she is supported by two outdated and ancient deputies that need to move aside and let some more progressive, and more recently educated, poeple in there that will work alongside government and industry to come up with solutions rather han just throw up roadblocks. Development is inevitable…lets work together and get it done the best we can…but let’s get it done.

  39. Anonymous says:

    Voters in East End and North Side are sick and tired of the lack of an alternate route to help alleviate the obscene traffic that we have to traverse twice daily and sometimes of weekends when there are accidents or tree cuttings. I am a stanch environmentalist, however I live up here and have to endure this twice daily traffic hell.

    When the many working class people who have moved east to be able to rent/buy/build a home can afford to move closer to town again after we have defeated the overpriced costs closer to town, then we can again focus on protecting our very precious and limited environment.

    I don’t want more roads for the sake of it, especially at the cost of our environment. Trust me. However, I can no longer withstand the traffic hell that successive governments and developers have forced upon us living in East End and North Side.

    • Anonymous says:

      Voters in East End and North Side are too stupid to realize that this will make no difference.

      • Anonymous says:

        Voters in East End and North Side realise that there are some drivers that will turn off before getting to town. If the drivers can turn off faster, those going to town can get there quicker. Moron.

        • Anonymous says:

          Moron, you will still only get to a 1 lane road so until those issues are fixed your stupid road out there isn’t gonna do jack all.

          • Anonymous says:

            Dipsh*t a four lane road of traffic is shorter in traffic “length” than a one lane road. Besides no one said that Grand harbour flyover shouldn’t be addressed but that’s also a 2 lane road now and soon so will the East-West Arterial. You clearly don’t live up here and aren’t forced to endure this traffic hell. A low bridge road is one option to mitigate but unless the population in the eastern districts is reduced, the single the one lane road which has existed since the 70s when the entire population of the Cayman Islands was about 10K is NO LONGER FIT FOR PURPOSE.

      • Anonymous says:

        Not as dumb as West Bay.

  40. Mervyn Cumber says:

    This road extension has to be built, regardless, of some swamp it must traverse. All the wetlands East of the original West Bay Road have been subjected to the same sort of development by developers, the Government is doing this for the benefit of the people of BoddenTown and the North and East and they need a break.

    • Anonymous says:

      Mervyn, they need to expand the road at the horsey stable and that roundabout first. They need to get a road from savannah to camana to even help us out east. How often are you driving into town during rush hour? Probably never.

  41. SMH says:

    This guy Joey is a joker. I will never waste another vote on the likes of him. SMH

  42. Anonymous says:

    Time to vote joey out so he can officially go work for his masters at camana bay

  43. Anonymous says:

    Can the minister of planning and infrastructure get anything right?

  44. Anonymous says:

    Roads are built through highly sensitive wetlands in many places around this little world.

    It is possible to design/engineer/build mitigating measures to protect the “lungs of Cayman”.

    Do the EIA, hire competent design and build people, and get this done.

    Not 50 years later as we have done with the GT Dump, and on and on.

    The master ground transportation plan was 1989.

    • Anonymous says:

      5:03, correct. The issue here isn’t that the toad cannot be done in an environmentally sound way. The fact is, Joe isn’t interested in fixing the problem for the eastern districts. He would rather build ten highways and overpasses on the WB peninsula before completing the east west arterial. Fact.

      The people that live out in the east side of Grand isn’t Joey’s concern.

  45. New Caymanian voter says:

    Mr. Hew has no respect for the natural environment and any process that will hold him and his government accountable. Cayman cannot afford for him to remain in office as a MP.

    • Anonymous says:

      4.53 And you have no respect for the people of East End and North Side who need this road.

      • Anonymous says:

        YOU WON’T GET FAR! IT ALL LEADS TO 1 LANE ROADS! WHY ARE YOU SO GULLIBLE??? I hate caps but it’s like you people can’t use critical thinking to save your life!

  46. Anonymous says:

    Build the road elevated in piles to allow water flow?

    • Anonymous says:

      Another great idea that will not be considered. Unfortunately anti-gravity personal transportation will be a thing before we get this right.

    • Anonymous says:

      Again, perhaps this could be looked at as part of a study of the environment…

  47. Anonymous says:

    Poor Joey every time he speaks he sounds like an uneducated moron. He has been a disaster as minister for Cayman but very good for dart

  48. Anonymous says:

    Joey Who has no clue. He needs to go

  49. Anonymous says:

    How you expect Ezzard to get to his farmland if you don’t build it?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.