As the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda enters the final stretch of preparations for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), a key infrastructure milestone is on track to be met this weekend. The Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) has confirmed that all its construction crews will wrap up on-site works in the capital St. John’s and withdraw from the area by the end of Sunday, clearing much-needed space for accelerated road restoration projects ahead of the high-profile international summit, scheduled to run from November 1 to 4.
Maurice Merchant, APUA’s Director General of Communications, shared the official update in a statement released Friday, noting that the authority’s large-scale project to relocate and upgrade underground utilities across the capital is already in its concluding phase. One of the project’s core deliverables — the full installation of a new, modern water distribution network across St. John’s — has already been fully completed, marking a major step forward in renewing the city’s outdated, decades-old water infrastructure system. According to Merchant, High Street, the venue set to host the summit’s official opening ceremony, is already receiving a consistent water supply through the newly laid main pipeline.
The final tasks that remain for APUA’s teams include connecting end users to the new lines, installing protective covers for underground valve boxes, and repairing small sections of pavement that were cut or damaged during the underground upgrade works. This timeline was formally confirmed to Antigua and Barbuda’s Cabinet during a joint presentation by APUA and the Ministry of Works on Wednesday, October 14.
Merchant also addressed growing public frustration over traffic disruptions, blocked access routes, and generally poor conditions across the capital that have persisted throughout the overlapping infrastructure upgrade and roadwork projects. He emphasized that the timely exit of APUA’s crews will immediately unlock progress for the Ministry of Works, which will be able to ramp up full-scale road resurfacing and urban restoration starting this weekend, with a two-week window to complete all final works before the summit begins.
When pressed on whether the ambitious timeline leaves enough time to deliver fully finished roads in time for the international gathering, Merchant confirmed that the entire Cabinet retains full confidence in the Ministry of Works’ ability to meet the pre-CHOGM deadline. Priority will be given to the High Street precinct to ensure the opening ceremony venue meets all required standards for visiting heads of government and international delegates.