During a recent appearance on the popular local Browne and Browne radio talk show, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Education Daryll Matthew confirmed that comprehensive supporting infrastructure upgrades are being co-developed in lockstep with the ongoing expansion of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus. The minister’s comments came in direct response to a listener query about longstanding community concerns over the narrow, often congested access road leading to the higher education facility. Matthew offered a clear, unreserved confirmation that road widening works are formally included in the campus expansion masterplan, noting that cross-agency working groups have already been established to align planning across multiple government and public service bodies. Representatives from the Ministry of Public Works and the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) are embedded directly in the UWI campus expansion project team, to ensure all supporting infrastructure is designed to meet both the university’s growing operational needs and the needs of the surrounding Five Islands residential community. Beyond road upgrades, a full, customized traffic management framework is currently under active development to mitigate future congestion as student enrollment, faculty staffing, and campus event foot traffic rise in line with expansion milestones. The integrated planning process also extends far beyond transport infrastructure, to cover critical utility upgrades for the broader Five Islands area. Most notably, project teams are evaluating the installation of a dedicated reverse osmosis water treatment facility as a core component of the build-out, to secure a stable, high-quality water supply for the expanded campus and adjacent community stakeholders. Matthew emphasized that the entire planning process has intentionally centered the unique needs of the Five Islands local ecosystem, rather than focusing solely on the boundaries of the university property itself. At this stage, the ministry has not yet released formal public details on the exact construction start timeline, total projected budget, or granular technical scope for the road widening works, traffic management interventions, or proposed reverse osmosis plant, as cross-agency consultations and final feasibility reviews remain ongoing.
Road widening planned for UWI Five Islands expansion, Matthew says
