The government of Antigua and Barbuda has unveiled a timeline for a key infrastructure upgrade on the island of Barbuda, announcing that construction on a critical two-mile roadway linking Barbuda’s international airport to River Dock will get underway in the near future, with a projected completion window of just eight weeks from the start of work.
The announcement came Thursday via Maurice Merchant, Director General of Communications, who shared details following a Wednesday Cabinet meeting that included a progress briefing from Financial Secretary Rasona Davis-Crump and senior leadership from the Ministry of Works. The briefing focused heavily on the government’s island-wide national road improvement initiative, with particular focus placed on upgrade projects across Barbuda.
“Cabinet was officially informed that the high-priority road connecting the airport to River Dock will commence shortly, and is scheduled to be finished within two months of breaking ground,” Merchant stated during the official post-Cabinet press briefing.
While Merchant declined to name the selected construction firm or share an exact groundbreaking date, he confirmed that the chosen contractor already has a well-established footprint and proven operational track record across both Antigua and Barbuda. This local presence, he explained, is designed to streamline the mobilization of heavy construction equipment and skilled labor, eliminating unnecessary holdups that often delay infrastructure projects delivered by out-of-region firms.
To further ensure project integrity, the government has appointed an independent third-party monitor to oversee every stage of construction. This monitor will be responsible for upholding accountability, maintaining full transparency throughout the process, and verifying that all work meets international and local engineering standards.
The airport-to-River Dock upgrade is just one component of a broader infrastructure rehabilitation initiative covering multiple roadways across Barbuda. Collectively, these projects are targeted at boosting transportation connectivity for local residents and business operations, laying the physical groundwork for long-term economic and social growth across the smaller island of Antigua and Barbuda.
The full national road programme across the country is backed by EC$100 million in bonds issued to a consortium of domestic financial institutions, paired with a US$33 million development loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). Merchant confirmed that all financing arrangements are moving forward according to schedule, a development that is expected to speed up road rehabilitation work across both Antigua and Barbuda.
According to updates from the Financial Secretary shared with Cabinet, all funding mechanisms are on track, with disbursement of the CDB loan expected to be finalized within a matter of days once the final outstanding contractual requirements are fulfilled. Senior leadership at the Ministry of Works also told Cabinet that pre-construction preparatory work is already ongoing to ensure all projects funded through both the bond and loan can be executed on schedule.
To wrap up the meeting, Cabinet issued a formal directive to relevant public officials to accelerate the implementation timeline for all projects, so that local communities can begin benefiting from safer, more reliable road infrastructure as quickly as possible.