During a recent appearance on the popular local broadcast program the Browne and Browne Show this past Saturday, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne shared a long-awaited public update on the planned port development for the island of Barbuda, revealing that construction could break ground as early as January or February of 2027, pending the finalization of outstanding preparatory technical assessments. Browne noted that the first tranche of foundational feasibility and geotechnical studies for the critical infrastructure project has already been wrapped up, with the remaining batch of required evaluations now advancing steadily toward full completion. While the prime minister framed the early 2027 timeline as a realistic, targeted launch window, he stopped short of issuing a legally binding, fixed construction start date, emphasizing that the final go-ahead would only be issued once every outstanding preliminary assessment is fully vetted and signed off by relevant regulatory and engineering teams. Notably, Browne did not disclose additional project specifics during the on-air exchange, including total projected development costs, finalized financing arrangements, the identity of the awarded construction contractor, a full breakdown of planned on-port facilities, or a granular phase-by-phase construction timeline. His comments came directly in response to a call-in listener who reached out to the show to request a status update on the long-discussed Barbuda port initiative, a project widely viewed as a cornerstone of the small island territory’s efforts to bolster maritime connectivity, boost local tourism revenue, and strengthen supply chain resilience for Barbuda’s resident population.