The saga of the East-West Arterial

| 02/02/2025 | 42 Comments

Ezzard Miller writes: This road originated with the Master Ground Transportation plan developed by the 1988 to 1992 Government of which I was a member. The purpose of this highway was twofold: to provide a road to move traffic from the Eastern Districts to the capital, George Town, and to ensure we had an alternative to the coastal road after hurricanes or accidents closed the existing road. As I recall, this road had only four access points: East End, Frank Sound, Lookout, and Hirst Drive.

The decision to locate the road in the swamp, now referred to by environmentalists as the Central Wetlands, was made because we wanted to reserve the arable land to live on and grow food. The almost straight road was also positioned to run through most of the SWAMP, parallel to the drainage pattern, rather than across it, increasing the impediment to the drainage patterns.

This roadway was gazetted by the government from 2000 to 2005, and the portion from Prospect to Hirst Road in Newlands was built by the government from 2005 to 2009.

Unfortunately, the extreme Environmentalists, led by the now largely misdirected National Trust, got involved and started objecting to the road.

The Department of Environment has been promoting the protection of the SWAMP, which they had magically and most unscientifically identified as having this vast protection from hurricane damage and nutrient-laden runoff as the source of all marine life in the North Sound and the surrounding reefs.

We North Siders have always known that fish and lobster, in fact, no marine life, can be hatched in brackish water stained by red and black mangrove dye. The yellow water that all you newbies see at Rum Point after heavy rains is this same brackish water that runs off the swamp. When lobster and fish were in the area on low tide, you could sit on the beach at Rum Point and watch the lobsters marching away from the brackish runoff.

The real question is why the environmentalists did not object to and demand all these costly EIAs for the West Bay Road corridor. Could it be because they stood to benefit but would not get the same benefit from the East-West Arterial? These environmentalists are often backed by economic forces that have their eyes on the development to extract great economic gains. Remember the Breakers’ diversion for the new port facility in the quarry holes to handle cargo and cruise ships.

I attended the presentation by the EIA consultants on Tuesday, 21 January, and was, unfortunately, grossly disappointed by their proposals. Oh, there were many colourful maps on display designed to hoodwink us country folk with colours and charts

The two charts I found most interesting were the following;

  1. The chart that supposedly represents the travel time from North Side to George Town, which started with the astounding misinformation that we currently take twenty minutes to complete that journey. As a person who makes this journey on a regular basis, I believe the only time that journey could be completed in that time would be between 2:00am and 3:00am. My wife has to leave home before 5:30am to reach work by 8:00am on a daily basis.

  2. The second chart of interest to me was the newly proposed altered route of the road, which now has several large curves and joins the Frank Sound Road about a mile closer to the Frank Sound junction, forcing the destruction of the only fire station in the Eastern Districts. This suggests we should not even have protection from fire. That is what they think of us. This new location also destroys many acres of rich farmland currently used for farming.

The second chart clearly states that the alternate route is to avoid National Trust land, including the artificially created Parrots Reserve and the Mastic Reserve, as well as a piece of land given to the National Trust by the Dart conglomerate. I also believe that persons with selfish economic interests influenced the relocation of this road.

This chart, therefore, destroys all the other scientific facts presented and makes the whole exercise a waste of public funds. The chart makes it clear that the diversions have nothing to do with the environment but only with the National Trust land.

The zealous environmentalists in the National Trust, aided by the DoE, have successfully required such an elaborate design for this road. None of this is grounded in Caymanian commonsense, which states that the price of nine hundred plus million dollars makes such a road unjustifiable.

I know the people in the Eastern Districts desperately need this road, but I cannot justify the proposed road, which would cost so much.

There is no highway anywhere in the developed world that is so unnecessarily elaborate;

  1. Twenty feet above ground
  2. Four lanes of traffic
  3. Two bus lanes
  4. Two bicycle lanes
  5. Four-foot sidewalk on both sides
  6. Lighted center lane
  7. Solar panels

To name a few.

The financial projection for fifty years and the pollution figures over that fifty years are just pure speculation and are not grounded in reality.

Here is what I support, and I believe most of the people who live in the Eastern Districts will as well:

  1. The road is built as gazetted.
  2. The road is built the same way the first phase was built: dig out the peat where necessary, fill it with East End rock, and place drainage pipes as recommended by the EIA consultant.
  3. The road is a dual-carriageway in both directions.
  4. The road is elevated at the same height as the first phase.
  5. No concrete bridges.

I believe such a road could relieve the suffering of the residents in the Eastern Districts and should not cost more than two hundred million, which, even if it is funded by a loan, is justifiable.

I expect any candidate running for elections in the Eastern Electoral Districts will support this road; otherwise, I may have to get involved and campaign house to house against them.

I trust that the NRA will reject this EIA and their proposed design.


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Category: development, Local News, Viewpoint

Comments (42)

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Those pesky environmentalists again! Not to worry, Trump will announce that he will expel them and any Caymanian standing in the way so developers can turn Cayman into Miami – oh wait, we already have a other billionaire doing exactly that – just using $ rather than troops.

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  2. Anonymous says:

    “We North Siders have always known that fish and lobster, in fact, no marine life, can be hatched in brackish water stained by red and black mangrove dye.”

    30 seconds on Google will show you countless sources suggesting mangroves are critical to sea life, acting as nurseries. Or you could listen to Ezzard and his homespun wisdom about watching lobsters running away from an outbound tide. In daylight. Sure Ezzard. Its not really about how a road will massively increase your lands worth, only its not in the right place for you.

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  3. Al Catraz says:

    “the extreme Environmentalists, led by the now largely misdirected National Trust”

    When a man knows he has a losing position, out come the insults and pejoratives.

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  4. MP says:

    Stopped clock can be right twice a day.

    Ezzy is right that there is some hoodwinking going on – and he’s right to draw attention to the solar bells-and-whistles.

    The East-West Arterial Expansion should be more properly named ‘the East-West Solar Strip’ since it is the solar power that forms the positive side of the benefit-cost equation for the proposals. As *just a road*, the thing is basically net negative – the time savings and construction cost about evened out – meaning the government could just hand out that billion and achieve the same public good.

    This, of course, begs the questions:
    If the solar is so beneficial that it makes a billion dollar road look good, then surely it would be better to just do the solar alone, as a separate proposal?

    Further, why wait until the 2030s to do the solar?
    Here is where Ezzard’s point about the “economic forces” comes into play. It seems that the true intent is simply to tack on the solar scheme to make the numbers look good and to get shovels in the ground. Then, in the 2030s, someone else can decide if they want to do it – after all, the (net negative/break-even) road will already have been built, the landowners will have already built out their “swamp-condos” and made their money. It isn’t the National Trust that Ezzy should be looking at – it is the adjacent landowners looking to build or sell their newly accessible land, who want to finally ‘get theirs’.

    However Ezzy won’t look at them or point to them – they are the types he needs the votes from if he’s going to make a comeback!

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    • Big Bobo In West Bay says:

      But non of this will resolve the suffering that anyone coming from the East will encounter at the Hurley Roundabout. All the road will do is get people to the Hurley Roundabout faster and have the joy of sitting there for a hell of a long time each workday.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Ezzard is more of a smashed clock than a stopped clock.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Just a quick point of correction – the proposed solar addition (which does account for about $160M of their benefits calculation) is actually slated for 2046, not the 2030s.

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  5. Cayman Sanction says:

    Both you ezzard and arden mclean have failed the people of Cayman Islands and are just as ridiculous as the two current office holders Laurel and Hardy unnah left behind! Hush ya big mouth now mann! Destroying the mangrove eco system keeping the entire fresh water eco system for Grand Cayman intact so you can get to George Town earlier to do What may i ask?

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  6. Brian Tomlinson PE Civil, Marine (Ret) says:

    Ezzard has the correct, common sense comments on the E-W Arterial Road EIA report. The NRA Board of Directors and management staff should be ashamed of themselves. How did they let the consultants that THEY HIRED get so far out of control. This is an embarrassment to the Engineering Profession.

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  7. Anonymous says:

    Wealthy liberal expats own their nice homes in South Sound, George Town and West Bay. They are staunch environmentalists.

    Poor and struggling Caymanians rent and hope to buy a home but are forced further and further east. They don’ want a two-hour long commute because they’ve been priced out.

    In sum, the environmentalists don’t want a road built that will alleviate the commute times and that would provide access to affordable housing.

    Environmentalists are selfish and they suck.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Did you read the previous write up? It is going to shave 7 minutes off your 2 hour commute At a rate of a billion dollars. I don’t see how this benefits you or me. I guarantee you though that the costs and maintenance of this road will affects us and generations to come. What if government places a toll to pay for this road and given the population in the east say $1 one way. Can you afford this cost? Worst yet what happens when this cost is passed onto the stores, hotels, restaurants, etc you will se a hike in prices. Let me ask you, do you think Cayman can afford this road? I don’t think so.

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  8. Anonymous says:

    Do we think that Ezzard understands what a dual carriageway is or does he think that phrase means two lanes?

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  9. GR says:

    Ezzard has given me a new moniker … first I was a mediocre white male South African … and now I’m an extreme environmentalist … cheers, I’ll wear both badges with pride.

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  10. Anonymous says:

    Route too far south to open up the 12 acres of 50A 29. Sucks to be you I guess. Boo hoo.

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  11. The Secretary to the Ambassador of Absurdistan says:

    🚨 OFFICIAL DIPLOMATIC DISPATCH FROM THE SECRETARY TO THE AMBASSADOR OF ABSURDISTAN 🚨

    RE: THE EAST-WEST ARTERIAL SAGA, THE LEGENDARY DWAYNE SEYMOUR, AND THE IMMINENT CANONIZATION OF PARLIAMENT

    Esteemed Citizens, Perpetually Stranded Motorists, and Members of Parliament Still Searching for Their Notes,

    It is with equal measures of concern and amusement that the Absurdistani Ministry of Infrastructure and Divine Considerations has been forced to address yet another monumental display of governance gymnastics. Today’s topics:
    • The Great East-West Arterial Non-Project: The road that exists only in theory but is subject to infinite “reviews.”
    • The Enduring Struggles of Dwayne Seymour: The man, the myth, the legislative marvel.
    • The Potential Canonization of Our Honorable Parliament: Because at this point, they might need divine intervention to escape scrutiny.

    📜 ACT I: THE ROAD TO NOWHERE

    🗺️ In theory, a highway was proposed to connect East End to the rest of civilization.
    ⏳ In practice, this road remains as elusive as a coherent statement from certain ministers.
    💰 The cost? Somewhere between “a reasonable sum” and “your grandchildren will still be paying for it.”

    ✔ “Further studies are needed!” – A statement repeated so often, it may as well be Cayman’s new national motto.
    ✔ “We must consider all stakeholders!” – Translation: “We are waiting for the right people to get the right contracts.”
    ✔ “Fiscal responsibility!” – An argument used only when a project benefits the public, not when millions are funneled into doomed vanity projects.

    The Absurdistani Institute of Infrastructure Solutions™ has proposed some alternative approaches:

    ✔ A high-speed zipline system for desperate commuters.
    ✔ A government-funded chicken-drawn chariot rental program to embrace our new national transport strategy.
    ✔ A designated “scream lane” for motorists to vent their frustration while stuck in traffic.

    📜 ACT II: THE LEGEND OF DWAYNE SEYMOUR – A TESTAMENT TO GOVERNANCE IN ACTION(?)

    Ah yes, Dwayne “The Donkey Whisperer” Seymour, the living embodiment of Caymanian legislative theater!

    This is a man so deeply committed to the art of confusion that even his own speech notes have filed a missing persons report.

    🔹 The Great Reading Debacle – Where words, once considered loyal allies, turned against him in open rebellion.
    🔹 The Legislative Labyrinth – Where his own notes became an enigma even Tzeentch, the Chaos God of Change, would struggle to decipher.
    🔹 The Chariot of Chaos – Where transportation, political philosophy, and unintended slapstick comedy merged into one unforgettable display of governance.
    🔹 Traffic Planning Expertise – Where solutions were discussed, but coherence was left behind in a roundabout somewhere.

    So yes, let’s allow him to rest, for the poor man is likely still lost within the archives of his own legislative notes, desperately searching for the sentence he started in 2023 but never managed to finish.

    The Secretary to the Ambassador of Absurdistan salutes his dedication to the art of political bewilderment. May his next speech contain at least one complete sentence. 🤞

    📜 ACT III: THE IMMINENT CANONIZATION OF PARLIAMENT

    Given recent developments, Absurdistan is now contemplating a full-scale canonization of Cayman’s ministers and MPs. After all:

    ✔ If certain individuals must face an investigation, what better defense than sainthood?
    ✔ If they must answer for their governance, why not preemptively declare them “blessed” by their own policies?
    ✔ And if all else fails, let’s hope they don’t have to get too close to a Portuguese man o’ war—because that would be a very different kind of reckoning.

    We propose the following patron saints of Caymanian governance:

    🛑 Saint Seymour of the Stammering Scrolls – Protector of Lost Notes & Confuser of Legislative Assemblies.
    🛑 Saint Juliana of the Divine Backpedal – Keeper of Legislative Flip-Flops & Prophetic Announcements.
    🛑 Saint Panton, Martyr of Logic – Known for almost making sense before succumbing to political paralysis.
    🛑 Saints of the Unfinished Road – Watch over the East-West Arterial, a project so mythical it belongs in The Lord of the Rings.

    The Absurdistani Council of Canonization™ is currently reviewing these proposals and awaiting divine intervention—because at this point, logic alone cannot save us.

    🚨 FINAL VERDICT:

    ✔ Fastest way to build this road? Wait for a hurricane to wipe out the old one, then watch how quickly a “temporary bypass” appears.
    ✔ Best way to cope? Invest in a jetpack, a really good audiobook collection, or embrace our future national means of transportation—a chariot drawn by very motivated chickens!
    ✔ What’s next? ABSURDISTAN WILL MONITOR CLOSELY—AND CONTINUE TO DOCUMENT THE SLOWEST ROAD PROJECT IN HISTORY.

    Yours in bureaucratic exasperation,
    📜 The Secretary to the Ambassador of Absurdistan

    (Sent via diplomatic courier, who is currently stuck in traffic behind a malfunctioning chicken chariot, estimated time of delivery: three to five business years.) 🚦

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    • Anonymous says:

      Please stop these ridiculous missives.

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    • Anonymous says:

      You’re very tiresome, please go outside and touch some grass.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Cans can we remove the. ChatGPT dribble? It’s just word spaghetti

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      • Anonymous says:

        Dribble ? I love your response especially when the people at the origin of the NCA amendment bill can’t read their speeches , shuffle through their notes, in front of a captive audience !

        I also can’t help but notice the blame game that consecutively started just minutes after the amendments were pulled out .

        But yes , It can be a little convoluted and the tone exaggerated, but the comments are always on topic.

        Satire is indeed a means of communication that may be lost on some, but its goal isn’t only to make you laugh , but also think and reflect on absolutely absurd situations and humor can be both a weapon and a shield against the unrelenting nonsense happening in plain sight.

        So yes indeed it is as you mentioned dribble!

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  12. Anonymous says:

    To the Author, you had your chance in 2017 to get this road done when you and Arden could have formed the Govt. Instead, your usual lazy self only wanted a cozy seat and regular paycheck by sitting in Opposition in the southeast corner of the Assembly and complain, complain, complain all day long.

    Why did you not form the Govt in 2017 and take the bull by the horns and get this road done then?

    You had the chance then. But, as usual, all you seem to want to do is complain

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  13. Anonymous says:

    The timing of the meeting, the withdrawal of the bills to support gutting of the NCC are not a coincidence.
    It is election season so they are backing down now simply to use it as a campaign promise.
    To Ezzard’s point – why did they change the trajectory of where the road would come out that would go through farm land and require the fire station to be torn down.
    Better question would be – Who stands to benefit?
    Another question would be – Why is Jay spending millions of dollars resurfacing roads?? This is a waste of public funds!! Govt spent millions doing shoulders along North Side road and now black topping over it for what????
    Jay is also getting NRA to blacktop people’s driveways too!
    Wasting money on these efforts versus saving cash reserves to one day get the east-west done versus borrowing it.
    This political grand standing and wasting public funds should be what is campaigned against!!
    So Ezzard I hope if you go door to door you point that unnecessary spending out otherwise you are not the person you say you are.
    While you are championing the need to have an alternate route for emergencies etc. this road doesn’t solve the traffic problem and we all know that developers are lining up to take advantage of this.

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    • Anonymous says:

      Agreed. The traffic problems are:
      Too many people therefore too many cars
      Not enough public transport
      Hurleys roundabout
      The east arterial will not solve any of those & should not built.

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  14. Anonymous says:

    Mr. Miller is correct that the road was gazetted way back in 2000-2005 when North Side was very ably represented by Ms. Moyle. Mr. Miller was the MP for North Side for 12 years from 2009-2021, did absolutely nothing to move the process along and get the road built and is now blaming the Trust and extremists for delaying this road? Nice try, this is precisely why the voters of North Side overwhelmingly voted for someone else in 2021.

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    • Anonymous says:

      You skip over the years 2005 through 2009 when the PPM government, of which Mrs. Moyle was part, overspent the government’s money so much that the UK shackled Cayman with the Framework for Fiscal Responsibility, which makes it almost impossible to build ultra-expensive infrastructure projects like roads. As a result, CIG had to enlist Dart to get the ETH completed to West Bay, which involved all kinds of concessions that everyone is still complaining about. I can think of lots of reasons to criticise Ezzard Miller, but the road isn’t one of them.

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      • Anonymous says:

        Really? So what happened between 2009 and 2021? The answer is nothing. The groundwork which has now started could have been started and finished years ago and they do not constitute “ultra-expensive infrastructure projects”. Which then begs the question, where is the money coming from to build it now? And where is the money coming from for the new port? New airport? New cruise port? New school? Are you saying we are no longer bound by the Framework of Fiscal Responsibility?

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    • Anonymous says:

      We went from an MP who at least had business ethics and tried to fight corruption to getting the exact opposite with Jay Ebanks. Jay is not fit to walk in Ezzard,s shoes nor the late Honorable Edna Moyle.
      Jay has been involved with 2 failed governments and embroiled with government suing itself costing this country millions of dollars.
      More will be revealed on the campaign trail.

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  15. Anonymous says:

    Una remember the castigation of Government when the Linford Pierson Highway (partially) flooded in the last heavy storm rains? And you want to not build the next major roadway high enough to not flood in a big hurricane? While at the same time saying it is needed “to ensure we had an alternative to the coastal road after hurricanes”. That’s not common sense.

    Now, if you want to argue that the eastern districts can wait a day or two once every few years for the road to clear of floodwater in order to save the rest of us a few million, thats a logical argument. I may (or may not) agree with you, but at least we can discuss the pros and cons.

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  16. Anonymous says:

    So sad when someone can’t take a hint. You’re not relevant any more Ezzard.

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  17. Anonymous says:

    Give it a rest Ezzard.

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  18. Harley says:

    Anti environmentalism drivel. In the same vein you refer to scientists and the Trust as zealots, the same can be said for the developer cabal.

    Destroying the fire station is an absurd notion. They will surely build a new one

    Yes the road is needed, but keeping it as simple as possible and elevating it is the best solution.

    In the meantime, companies and government should implement remote working and encourage ride sharing.

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  19. Anonymous says:

    Your analysis is 100% spot on

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    • Anonymous says:

      It leaves out all the fleshy details of the conflicted deals and unnecessary pressure placed on certain landowners to sell their land throughout the original process… as flawed as the more recent attempts to push through the project.

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  20. Anonymous says:

    Finally some common sense. I suggest you start campaigning!!

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  21. Anonymous says:

    Stop. Public meetings are needed in GT West Bay too.
    we will all pay for this road$$

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  22. Anonymous says:

    Someone wants their land opened up…

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  23. Anonymous says:

    Ezzard why not move some of the government office to northside and do staggard work and school times. Both suggestions would not cost anything. Two hundred million and the risk of damaging the islands environment is so insane. Needless to say what are you going to do when you flood people homes?

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