We Can't Fix Our Roads — Walwyn
Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn told the House of Assembly that despite millions spent annually, the BVI lacks the engineering capacity to deliver lasting road repairs. He urged the government to seek external technical help while continuing to use local labour and equipment.
Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn has warned that the British Virgin Islands lack the technical capacity to properly build and maintain their road network, saying the territory should stop “fooling” itself about repeated, short-lived repairs. Speaking during the recent budget debate in the House of Assembly, Walwyn criticised the $13 million allocation for road works and urged an honest look at why road conditions continue to deteriorate despite years of spending. “We have to be honest with ourselves.
Walwyn argued the problem is not confined to any single administration but is systemic and long-standing. He said routine allocations for road repairs are being squandered because projects are not properly engineered, managed or completed to standard, producing temporary fixes rather than durable results. “Year after year after year, we’re spending loads and loads of money, and we can’t get it done,” he told legislators.
The Opposition Leader pinpointed a shortage of professional engineering oversight as the core issue. He recommended bringing in external engineering expertise to design and supervise road projects while retaining local workers and equipment to carry out the work. “We need help! Borrow the skills from somewhere,” Walwyn said, suggesting the BVI could draw on its existing relationships with the United Kingdom and other partners for technical assistance.
Walwyn highlighted visible examples of poor workmanship in Road Town, where patches are repeatedly dug up and left unfinished. “You have a bunch of squares that you cut out and you ain’t get them filled back up with nothing,” he said, calling the practice evidence of weak planning and project management.
Residents and businesses have long complained about potholes, unfinished works and repairs that fail to last, and Walwyn warned that without a change in approach public funds will continue to be wasted while road conditions worsen. His comments underscore growing public frustration and raise questions about procurement, oversight and long-term maintenance strategies.
Policy options to consider include mandatory professional engineering sign-off on projects, targeted contracts that ensure accountability for workmanship, transparent procurement and independent audits, and short- to medium-term agreements with overseas specialists to build local capacity.
For many drivers and business owners in the BVI, the debate will be judged by whether improvements finally appear on the ground.
Primary source: BVI News