EWA extension ‘crucial’, claims roads minister
(CNS): The minister responsible for roads, Jay Ebanks, has said that the East-West Arterial Road extension is the most crucial of all the road projects that the National Roads Authority is working on. However, the proposed road is also one of the most controversial, as the bulk of the next phase poses a direct threat to the Central Mangrove Wetlands. There are also significant concerns that it will lead to a surge of development in this critically important habitat.
Speaking on Radio Cayman’s For the Record on Monday, Ebanks said the government was in full support of the road and he hoped that the public meetings in relation to the Environmental Impact Assessment would begin in the Eastern Districts in February.
In a press release about the project issued Tuesday, the NRA said the road was needed to create “a highly resilient transportation corridor to meet the increasing challenges of climate change and sea level rise” as a result of the risk to the existing single coastal road that links East End to the rest of Grand Cayman, as well as improving access for tourists.
“Since climate change and sea level rise are a very real concern, NRA recognises the need for an alternative corridor to the current coastal road which is vulnerable to serve storms and coastal flooding,” the release stated.
“The extension of the East-West Arterial (EWA) will also serve as an emergency route when coastal roads are compromised and preserve connectivity between population centres. The project will reduce travel time to and from George Town for East End, North Side and Bodden Town residents and will assist in the promotion and implementation of sustainable public transportation [with] dedicated bus lanes.”
The NRA also claimed it would provide future stormwater management systems and enhance access to tourist attractions.
Nevertheless, the road has stirred up significant concerns about the environment and potential flooding. And while the minister insists that the road is crucial, many people disagree, pointing to the bottleneck at Grand Harbour as the primary cause of the traffic woes.
The plans for the ten-mile long, 160ft wide stretch of multi-lane highway that would extend the existing East-West Arterial from Woodland Drive to Frank Sound Road require the removal of more than 174 acres of undisturbed mangrove habitat.
But the NRA said it was aware of the environmental concerns and the need to protect the Central Mangrove Wetland, and said it was committed to identifying and developing engineering solutions that would minimise unavoidable impacts.
At the end of October, the CI$2 million contract was awarded to a US engineering company, which is expected to spend more than a year examining the threat to mangroves and the related wildlife, as well as the risk of flooding created by cutting through this natural area of drainage.
Email nra@nra.ky with questions or comments about this project.
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Category: development, Local News
Heres an idea, why dont you fucking add some elevation to the road and stop doing the cheapest possible way to build them, get rid of the roundabouts and actually think about what your doing with these roads, and the aftermath if a hurricane comes and all of the mangroves are gone. Whos gonna be laughing then? Hm?
This road is badly needed to help accommodate the 600+ vehicles imported weekly! Probably 50% are Honda Fits lol.
I’m not necessarily against this but the climate change argument seems stupid. Flooding is as big a risk in the mangroves as on the existing road, if not more. How high is this road going to be?
How will extending the road to North Side ease the traffic flow? Once you open up more access to properties then more homes will be built which means more cars on the road. There is more to road than meets the eyes! Our backsides will be taxed to pay for this road for generations to come and only to make a few selected persons rich.
Why is the excavator in there clearing without approval?
As long as there are obnoxious illegal billboards every 100ft along this road, it’ll all be good.
If you have Kenny jumping on Jay’s radio appearance so they can vie over stressing how much this is needed, you got to think there’s a lot of $ at stake. Shame Wayne didn’t call in to tell everyone how important the EIA is, but I guess there’s only the public interest involved in that, not votes or $
Build an overhead rail system with a few parking drop off points..ie Downtown GT, Grand Harbour, Savannah, Northward, BT Central, North Side and East End.
You park your car or walk to one of the points. Everyone get on the monorail train, (that runs on a schedule) 24/7. You get off and there are smaller buses or taxis to take you to your final destination if it is not in walking distance..ie GT-Camana Bay and West Bay..
Adding more roads will not solve the problem. Adding more roads means more cars and more developments in the area and once again more cars not to mention damage to the environment..
Think outside of the box Cayman..Depleting the Cayman Brac Bluff to build roads on Grand to continue to destroy the environment makes absolutely no sense..
why have most of the comments disappeared including mine and a few other persons I know who have posted?
CNS: No comments on this article that were previously posted were subsequently unpublished. They’re all there.
For some reason CNS website does not automatically refresh. You have to hit the refresh button to bring everything back up-to-date.
I have noted the same thing. Just hit refresh and comments should appear.
reloadn the page..all comments will the re-appear.
cns: this seems like a constant issue
CNS: I’ll have a look over the weekend.
i reset all my google settings and the site is back to normal.
CNS: Great!
This wont fix anything. The Hurleys bottle neck will not go away. It’s like spreading butter on toast. Build a causeway from Northsound road to Hirst Road across northsound then link up to the EW arterial. Need to get the traffic away from prospect
Following- today NRA posted that they are adding 6-lanes leading into Hurley’s bottle neck including a bike lane. Still NO mention of a crosswalk- baaahhh.
Oh my goodness THIS!! Crosswalks, where are they??? I live on Old Crewe Rd and would love to take the short walk to Hurleys to pick-up small amounts of groceries, but I don’t feel safe walking on the side of the road with no pedestrian pathway and then further feels like a suicide mission to walk across the round about traffic lanes. It’s not worth putting my safety at risk and so I jump in the car and add yet another car to the traffic. Makes no sense.
Better off using the existing rights of way, build some bridges over the roundabouts for through traffic, use the roundabouts for local access.
Illegal billboards are the answer!
What do you think Cayman?
Normalize illegal billboards?
Have your say in the upcoming referendi.
Probably best to erect a few illegal billboards asking the constituents… 😂
The third question on the illegal billboards should be… Should convicted felons be allowed to hold a seat in government?
You are cracking me up.
Decriminalize illegal billboards!
Criminalize leaf blowers!
Fix the damn dump!
can we stop using climate change and sea levels to justify everything please? a lot of things that needed to be done here (like pulling back buildings from the water) pre dates this current trend of addressing everything in the name of climate change.
you think the traffic bad and we’re over populated now build this road and give it a couple years, the beginning of the end for our once easy going island.
There is a term which completely describes what the EW extension will do, and it’s likely to be the next international crime which will go on the list on par with Human Rights international protection.
ECOCIDE!
https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07042021/climate-crisis-ecocide-vanuatu-the-fifth-crime/
https://www.stopecocide.earth/
Build roads because it means your crappy landlocked family parcel can finally be developed.
Explains it all
Crappy until in falls into foreign entity land ownership ! Then it’s no objections and acceptable to be developed right ? Whited sepulchres the whole lot of you.
That’s what all the roundabouts are for.
Cheaper to build a bridge network thru the mangroves, and thereby saving them too
Totally agree. Build low bridge type road on well spaced concrete pilings. Water can flow easily enough and it’s a small footprint!
Especially sensible given that this area is already mostly at or below sea-level.
What will be the cost and source of fill otherwise? Have we considered all options or will we just go with the development lobby?
This is actually an attractive idea.
Just make sure its smooth and wide so my Honda Fit F1 races are fun
Boy I cya wait to buck 173 mph on that straight
Been saying this from day 1. Minimise damage to mangroves and limit exits to minimise development too.
Small footprint, Massive cost.
This is a time to be practical .
But my crappy landlocked parcel cant be sold for max profit
Best idea ever. Maintains all the benefits of the mangroves. Ever travel in Louisiana on I-10 across the Atchafalaya basin? All causeway.
I think we can all agree that the population is not going to decrease. I think we can all agree that having one road connecting the eastern districts to town with no redundancy is poor planning. That said I think most of us lack faith in CIG to carry out this project with foresight expertise and transparency, hence all the resistance. It’s not just the environmental impact of the road it’s the socio economical impact of all that property getting opened up. What is the long term urban planning goal for this island? What exactly are we working towards or is this just more of the usual caymanian ad hoc style of development? Do we have clear goals long term goals as an island community or are we just perpetually reacting to things as if we couldn’t see it coming from decades away (see the dump for example).
if we want to sustain our current quality of life, our infrastructure is going to to have to continuously evolve and expand. There will always be an environmental impact. I think most of us understand this and are willing to accept that, if we have confidence that all measures are being to taken to innovate and mitigate that impact (even creating new industry and employment opportunity in the process)AND it’s not being managed by greedy, intellectually lazy unqualified con artists posing as politicians and ministry leaders.
Tldr: I think most of us appreciate the need for this road we just don’t trust cig to plan or execute it wisely in such a way that it won’t negatively affect our quality of life.
💪
It’s crucial not to proceed with the road extension .
My small input is unfortunately I tend to agree with the need for the road extention. I am not expressing that this road extention takes priority over any other issue facing our islands at this time. If anyone knows me certainly I’m not. But seperate and apart, as someone who have taken a few trips to the eastern districts especially North Side, during and outside of peek traffic times over the past months, this road is becoming more and more visually realistic and crucial. More of a consideration is that as residential communities more and more move inland due to development and increased population (also increasing traffic😣), a road will be necessary to access these communities. The Linford Pierson arterial through Prospect to Spotts Newlands to Newlands is a perfect example. Looking back now, it isn’t hard to wonder how challenging and slow getting to the communities accessible by way of the LPHwy coukd be with onky the Spotts stretch/Shamrock Dr. Because that road went through it also opened up more residential communities development but also divert some traffic. As we are seeing, Bodden Town, North Side, and East End are now the fast growing districts especially for Caymanians as other disricts are almost unaffordable for us. But one direct road is fast becoming not enough.
How it is done I am not going to try to offer solutions. But I do hope the priority will be preservation and consideration to natural ecosystems of the island also. We must also remember most of Grabd Cayman’s land is wetlands and swamps. Anyone remember what Windsor Park, Red Bay, Prospect, South Sound (prime, prestige location), Dtke Roads/Fairbanks Road area, parts of Newlands, West Bay Road, West Bay, etc once were??
Yes, we remember how much swamp Grand Cayman used to have that is now developed land, and we see how much that land is now flooding, and we see the insurance companies pulling back insurance for badly developed areas. Which is why the Government having dragged its feet on the EIA for this road – for years – is inexcusable and having PACT try to push the road through with soundbites and lip service to an EIA by it being a second thought to ‘must build the road now’ shows a lack of attention to reality by certain persons.
3:06 p.m.
Nevertheless the land HAD to be developed to accommodate the growth and development of the islands. Where would residents and businesses otherwise have lived and worked?
The point is Grabd Cayman is largely swamp land. There is not way to get around what the land make-up is.
Replacing the George Town roundabouts with traffic lights should be considered crucial.
Wouldnt replace them with traffic lights, since people here don’t appreciate that yellow means to slow down.
I would put traffic lights on the roundabouts during peak times though.
There is no yellow light.
If you can’t cope with a roundabout you shouldn’t have a driving license
Everyone is coping but would rather not. Traffic lights are better at peak hours.
I would have thought the airport connector road was more important?
Not for wotes.
The island is gone already, together with the beach. Let them build the road, so even more cars will go around. Let’s see who and how much will be paying to live in the swamp.
It wont be a swamp once developers start building. The waters will simply be pushed onto neighboring lands.
This is already happening, for along time now. New developments filling higher to prevent flooding and in doing so pass the problem onto their neighbours. Only a few years ago government did this to a property they own next door to me. Raised ground level so high that my entire yard floods badly and I lost all my young fruit trees that side. After 20 years of no flooding.
Planning Dept requires it.
Excavator was there on site fueling up to destroy more trees……smh
The NRA has permission to build the section from Hirst Road to the ‘Savannah By-Pass Connector’.
To report illegal clearing in Grand Cayman here is the info:
– Dept of Environment Enforcement 916-4271 or 916-5849
– Anyone who has spotted a suspected violation of the mangrove policy may contact the rangers at 923-9000, info@mangroverangers.ky or complete the reporting form here: https://www.mangroverangers.ky/copy-of-contact
– Planning Dept, submit a form with the link provided or call Haroon Pandohie 244-6506. (No dedicated enforcement phone no listed). https://www.planning.ky/code-compliance
If it is safe to do so, take photos/videos of what is occuring. You can also call 911.
There is too little funding set aside for enforcement staff so lobby your MP for Caymanian Environmental District Wardens.
Now I’ve heard it all! After hundreds of years and many hurricanes the coastal road remains intact. Why do you think is behind this minister Ebanks? It’s because of the central mangrove eco system. Completing of this extension will create severe flooding to existing properties in the vicinity and will diminish the fresh water lense. Similarly to what is happening to the surrounding ponds around these quarries that are now going into the salt water lense. Adjoining ponds are now dead. No crustaceans, no moss algae or fish to feed the turtles, birds, etc.
We don’t want the road. Plain and simple! Stop destroying our environment! Why are you pushing for this extension? Where is our Premier?
Those money struck quarry owners should be forced to closed down. They have dug to the ocean and are not satisfied with the destruction. When is GOVERNMENT going to put a stop to those Quarries? No use discussing about wetlands, when there are other problems which need to be dealt with. The quarries are causing damage to the natural ponds/lakes and governments have approved extended digging for natural destruction.
Where is the balance? Can we have a reality check?
Need to STOP shipping the Brac Buff to Grand.
Based on what actual evidence?
The coastal road you speak of was largely damaged during Hurricane Ivan. Talk what you know @8:19 pm and keep on sleeping. You may not want the road but the majority of people in the east do and their quality of life is as important as anyone else on these islands. Kapish! Abishsnhonauyaft
There are a grand total of 500 voters out there.
Having a second route to the Eastern districts is absolutely critical. It’s crazy how the Brac and even Little have more true resiliency in the road network than Grand with their ring roads and alternative routes.
Storm damage, accidents, road works…. any number of things can completely cut off half of the island the way it is right now. That’s not just a matter of inconvenience, but it also means emergency services are too frequently severely compromised.
There’s no question that the impact to the wetlands and natural habitats in the heart of the island must be managed very carefully, yet there are very compelling arguments for securing an alternative route spanning the island.
Very well said! I agree completely!
Compelling arguments? I haven’t seen one. I don’t buy this ‘climate change resiliency’ one. I think they have latched onto zeitgeist of present day and are using it to justify a stinker of a project.
No 1- the two sister islands are oval shaped, the grand island has a hole in it called North Sound. Several pinch points make a network you describe physically impossible.
No 2- sister islands have no economy so the roads are jobs for civil servants and friends driveways.
Normally, full commitment comes after the EIA is published and mitigations green lit, but everything is backwards here when the bribes are already cashed on deposit.
The under the sound tunnel (Sunnel) is the only solution.
I don’t disagree. Only problem is I wouldn’t trust the thing enough to drive through it.
And easy too. It’s done under major rivers of the world and even under the English Channel. All you have to do is dig down until you reach solid dry ground. In Cayman that would be just over a mile deep. That should give us enough fill to last for the next 100 years.
Would you trust local road builders enough to use it?
Must be the only thing him and Ezzard agree on. The road is needed as constituents require access to their land.
Translation: So we can sell our lands at an increased value due to a new roadway east
The road is needed so certain developer who bought up chunks of land at a bargain price because it has no access can make millions in profit. On a scale that balances the environment against $ you know which will win.
Just keep building more roads and widening the existing ones until there is no more traffic congestion. Simple.
Only the peeps driving down from the east no the pain of this traffic. I hope the conduct the construction as environmentally friendly as possible, but however they do it, it needs to be done… and fast!
A proper transport system would be possible in your lifetime if we didn’t have the blind leading the blind off the cliff.
How long to finish that little strip of Cardinal?
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Perhaps we should actually put a proper public transport system in place first, then evaluate how necessary this road building is.
Proper Public Transport System:
-Multiple large buses that continually travel the main roads of Cayman on a Schedule, stopping ONLY at designated bus stops.
-Connecting with smaller buses which service individual communities so that no home is outside a 20 minute walk to a Marked Bus Stop.
-GPS tracking for transit users to see bus locations (similar to the Uber App.)
-Daily, Weekly and Monthly transit subscriptions allowing unlimited numbers of rides for up to date subscribers
-Grand Cayman Transit Phone App to show proof of subscription when boarding a bus, with active map showing live time bus location, location of nearest Bus Stop and bus schedule
-a physical transit card (for those without smart phones).
-each bus to run regularly daily routes so that no rider waits more than 20 minutes to catch a main route bus. Times for bus arrival to be posted at each Designated Bus Stop.
-buses to be cleaned and maintained at a central hub
-bus drivers to be qualified as such and be given first and a darkness to light certification
schools, cruise port, airport, malls and grocery stores to be included in bus routes
-buses to have live cams for benefit of driver and rider
-bus routes to one monitored both by GPS and by random in person auditing of bus drivers performance for factors including timeliness, road safety, and friendliness
-bus service to be 24/7, with emphasis on making sure users get to and from entertainment (restaurants, bars, concerts, plays etc safely, with the aim to reducing DUI accidents
Seems to me the budget for road building would be better spent on this project.
I would be happy to help make this a reality, Minister Jay Ebanks – have your people call me.
Do you really think this PACT Government is capable of creating a public transport system that can move thousands of people between East End and George Town twice a day efficiently and effectively ? Do you realise who the Minister of Transport is currently ?
Would be a better investment than allowing another drain hole capital project…no pun intended!
Who is Chair of the Roads Authority 🤔
Last one resigned due to Ministry and NRA incompetence!
Can somebody please explain to the NRA and to this minister, that removing 174 acres of mangroves will have the exact opposite effect than “protecting“ the island from flooding and storm surge?
Looks like it’s boom’ time for the property industry… But as previously liveable areas are forcibly changed to ‘cities’ without a real community mandate (i.e. without a vote), the corrupted economic model of property-led ‘development’ destroys our environment and quality of life.
Thoughts? 🤔
🟢Protect our environment
🟠Stop overdevelopment
🔴Stop duplicity
Hogwash more deals already cut before this extension is even started to make certain ministers BiG BIG $$$$ Cayman whilst destroying important environmentally sensitive areas for this island .How much more are we going to build up this little island eh check you political sponsors who pretending whilst sitting on preservation boards that they care out This island .Pure Hypocrites
You are correct about “political sponsors” and campaign contributors.
If you take a look at who were campaign contributors, then much of MPs, especially Cabinet Ministers, irrational and disproportionate decisions start to become clear, because it’s all about political favors as quid pro quo.
Check it out, as this is in the public domain, and you can gain great insight into who is really calling certain shots: as a hint, it’s not the MPs/Ministers, but rather the campaign contributors and political sponsors.
Link?
The road is just an excuse for the big builders to move their concrete jungle (high rises) east. Just say no!
What the article should say is that it will reduce the time to get to the Hurley Roundabout traffic mess / congestion.
Exactly right Hubert. Talk about putting the horse before the cart but like we all know its not about solving the traffic problem
You are correct, it is all about payoffs to enable developers (many are generational Caymanians who care nothing for our country) to profit from the access to interior property. It is a travesty that Caymanians will destroy their country so willingly.
Short term gains, long term pains
any comment wayne?..or mr governor?
wayne has to either stand behind this nonsense or sack jay ebanks immediatley.
jay ebanks…not just an uneducated fool…but now resorts to making up stories to justify his nonsense plans
He was duly elected… who is to blame for that? More importantly, who will run against him. And will opposition to him get elected? How stupid is the electorate in his district? (an easy answer – VERY stupid).
Don’t think Jay makes up the stories. Not that clever – but you can teach a parrot to recite.
I miss Ezzard Miller.
surely cig should now be advising people to relocate from the coast…or at very least prevent further costal development in cayman due to the climate risks of rising sea levels!!!!
anywhere else in the world this minister would be sacked after spewing such nonsense.
Who is going to fire him ? Wayne ? he is hanging on by a thread last I heard. Figurehead Premier only!
laughable stuff…but thats what happens when government ministers are ‘interviewed’ on government run radio stations.
just another day in wonderland.
Plunderland
from the people who said building more roads is not the answer to cayman traffic crisis…..yep, you are getting more roads.
welcome to wonderland.
easily some of the most fraudulaent and dishonest statements i have ever heard.
i wonder what excuses they will dream up next week???
Just wait. More is on the way.
yikes…looks like we will have to move inland to avoid sea level rises!!!!!
what a bunch of nonsense.
there is not one valuid reason for this road…except the obvious one…opening up land for more unplanned, low rise, residential development.
Money will be made; but not by you!
You mean the mangrove subdivision metropolis by ALT? Or is it Kurt or Alden…lost track which politician gonna benefit.
We definitely need an alternative route for those HGV’s barrelling through Bodden Town and Breakers. The route was only ever intended as a quiet country road. Just look at the quaint homes sitting perilously close to the edge of the road with no side walk to protect them from a side swipe from one of these trucks. Got help us is one of them took a direct hit.
Dump trucks should go on the Bodden Town bypass but guess their undercarriage can’t take the speed bumps. They don’t need to barrel through BT but who’s gonna stop em?? Government don’t cares.
‘building roads to meet the challenges of climate change’????
someone pass me the headache pills…..