As Antigua and Barbuda prepares to welcome global leaders for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), one critical infrastructure project has hit an unavoidable delay. Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene has confirmed publicly that the eastern road extension connecting Sir Vivian Richards Stadium to the town of Parham will not be fully completed ahead of the high-profile summit scheduled for November 1 to 4. The honest announcement came during a CHOGM-focused town hall held Wednesday, responding to direct concerns raised by a local resident about the route’s poor condition. That route serves the Parham playing field, which authorities have selected as an official park-and-ride location for event attendees. The resident, who goes by Ms. Carr, painted a grim picture of the uncompleted road, calling its current state “atrocious” and pushed for urgent action to improve access for the public planning to use the parking facility. In his transparent response, Greene made no attempt to downplay the missed deadline. “It is not possible to have that road from the stadium going eastwards to Parham complete before CHOGM. I’m going to be brutally honest,” he stated. While full construction will not wrap up on time, the minister outlined immediate next steps to address public needs: targeted remedial repairs will be carried out between the town hall and the start of CHOGM next week to keep the route passable for local residents traveling to and from official summit events. Greene clarified that official government and diplomatic convoys will not use this stretch of road at all, eliminating any risk of disruption for visiting delegations. Even so, he emphasized that local access remains a top priority for the government, reassuring residents that their needs have not been sidelined to accommodate the international event. “Clearly, the convoys won’t go down the road, but we also put a premium on our people and their movement to and from the CHOGM events,” he said. “So you have not been left out.” To further address ongoing community concerns, Greene also pledged that representatives from Antigua and Barbuda’s Public Works Department will attend a future dedicated town hall meeting to be held in Parham, where they can answer additional questions and work with residents to resolve lingering access issues. Beyond Parham, local police have designated two other public playing fields — located in Sea View Farm and Pigotts — as additional park-and-ride locations for attendees of the November 1 Independence ceremonial parade, which will be held at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium as part of the broader CHOGM programming. The confirmation of the delay comes less than a week before Antigua and Barbuda welcomes heads of state and senior diplomatic representatives from across the 56-nation Commonwealth for four days of talks on global cooperation, development, and policy coordination.