Penn Warns Against Paving Over Ageing Pipes
Opposition Leader and National Democratic Party (NDP) Chairman Marlon Penn has warned that the government risks wasting taxpayers’ money by constructing roads without replacing ageing water pipes, potentially forcing contractors to dig up newly completed infrastructure to repair leaks.
Opposition Leader and National Democratic Party (NDP) Chairman Marlon Penn has warned that the government risks wasting taxpayers’ money by constructing roads without replacing ageing water pipes, potentially forcing contractors to dig up newly completed infrastructure to repair leaks.
Speaking on NDP Radio on Wednesday, Penn criticised what he described as a lack of coordination between road construction and utility upgrades, arguing that the government should address water and electricity infrastructure while carrying out roadworks. The Opposition legislator said the government needed a comprehensive development plan to ensure that major infrastructure projects were properly coordinated. “And the key, the operative word there is plan,” Penn stated.
He questioned the government’s approach to spending $100 million on infrastructure without, in his view, a clear strategy for integrating road improvements with essential utility upgrades. Penn argued that road construction should include the replacement of deteriorating water pipes and the installation of underground conduits for electricity transmission.
He pointed to roadworks in the Hodge’s Creek area, where he said contractors had been constructing retaining walls and completing other improvements without replacing existing water lines. According to Penn, workers subsequently undermined part of the road to repair a broken water pipe, raising concerns about the durability of the completed project. “How often can you do that?” Penn questioned.
He warned that failing to replace underground infrastructure during road construction could eventually require the government to excavate newly completed concrete roads, adding unnecessary costs to public projects. Penn said the NDP had spent recent months consulting professionals and examining ways to address infrastructure problems through a more systematic approach.
His concerns also extended to the government’s management of water infrastructure across the territory, particularly the ongoing difficulties residents face in receiving a reliable supply. He argued that road construction, water distribution and electricity infrastructure should form part of a coordinated programme rather than being treated as separate projects.
Penn also stressed the importance of maintaining public infrastructure after construction, warning against investments that fail to deliver lasting benefits. He pointed to the government’s borrowing and said taxpayers should receive measurable returns from major public expenditure. “So we have to make sure that when we’re spending that type of money, that we see the return one to the taxpayers, and that we maintain the asset that is derived from spending that type of money,” Penn stated.
Primary source: BVI News