PIMU Advances Land Acquisition for Road Work

The Project Implementation Management Unit (PIMU), the agency responsible for the roll out of the Second Road Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project (SRIRP) with works now underway on Sir Sydney Walling Highway, is compiling a master list of impacted properties associated with the road rehabilitation project. 

The project office has successfully completed preliminary land acquisition surveys to determine the properties that are likely to be impacted as a result of the ongoing road works.  

Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Works, Mr. Clarence Pilgrim says, “Land acquisition is a critical component of project implementation and I commend the PIMU team for their exemplary work in advancing the process. He charges the Ministry’s Authorizing Officers to understand their responsibility in effectively managing a very complex and dynamic process that is time sensitive.   

Plans are afoot to inform all property owners along the highway of possible impacts as part of the process that will involve compensation to property owners by the Government. 

The details of the land acquisition process are outlined in the Antigua and Barbuda Land Acquisition Act, Cap 233. 

A list of all properties along the immediate roadway will be published in the Antigua and Barbuda Official Gazette and made accessible for residents to review. The publication of the master list is one of the many requirements that form part of the Land Acquisition process for infrastructure development.

The next step in the process is the demarcation of affected properties along the carriageway. This will enable the land acquisition team to officially notify property owners of the potential impacts.

Sir Sydney Walling Highway is one of four roads being rehabilitated under the Government of Antigua and Barbuda’s Second Road Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project. The other 3 roads are Valley Road North, Anchorage Road and Old Parham Road. 

The project is being funded through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank and the Government of Antigua is providing counterpart funding.