First phase of Airport Connector Road set for September completion

The first section of the Airport Connector Road will be completed by the end of September, the infrastructure minister told members during the first day of parliament this week.

Jay Ebanks, Minister of Planning, Agriculture, Housing and Infrastructure, was put on the spot on Wednesday, 7 June, with all three of the parliamentary questions directed at him.

Joseph Hew, MP for George Town North, asked for an update on plans to complete the Airport Connector Road, including the anticipated completion date.

Ebanks said the ministry and the National Roads Authority are happy to share that section one of the road – from the Esterley Tibbetts Highway to Allie B Drive – is progressing well.

"The sub-base works are substantially completed and construction of the base layer is now progressing," he told members.

"Drainage wells are being drilled, which will be followed by the installation of the catch basins, and by mid-June the curbing installations will be commenced."

He said other key activities to follow will include the installation of street lighting and the final base preparation and paving.

"It is anticipated that the project will be completed before the end of September 2023," the minister told parliament.

"That is good news," Hew said. "In fact, the timing couldn't be better just before the anticipated tourism season."

He asked if all of the necessary infrastructure has been bought and is on island

"I have been reliably informed that the majority of everything that we need is actually here on island," the minister responded.

Barbara Conolly, MP for George Town South, asked what are the plans of the National Roads Authority for removing the double yellow lines on both sides of Hawkins Drive.

She said it has been a "longstanding concern" for many residents of that area of George Town and she has been "struggling and fighting" for a change for two years.

Ebanks said the five members of the Traffic Management Panel, after much deliberation, have decided to remove the lines on the north side of the drive by the end of the month.

The panel includes the director of licensing, the police commissioner, the managing director of the National Roads Authority, the chief officer of the ministry responsible for roads, and one Cabinet appointed person from Cayman Brac or Little Cayman.

"I will be watching and waiting and all of the residents of Hawkins Drive will be – they will be notifying me when this occurs," Conolly told the minister.

In a second question, Conolly asked what are the requirements for motorised bicycles, electronic bicycles and electronic scooters to be used on public roads.

"Including whether they are required to be insured, licensed and inspected and for helmets to be worn by the users," she said.

Ebanks responded, "All types of bicycles, pedals, motorised, electronic and electronic scooters are allowed on the road.

"Licensing, which includes passing an inspection upon registration, and wearing helmets are required once the vehicle has a battery, an engine or some other mechanical or electrical device that can propel the equipment 50 mph or more," he said.

"This includes scooters that are less than 50cc."

Conolly asked if this is enforced, to which Ebanks said that he will respond in writing to the MP.

The George Town South representative said she knows e-scooters are emission free, environmentally friendly and take the pressure off roads, but she has safety concerns.

She asked Ebanks if would revisit the Traffic Act and make it compulsory for electronic registration of the vehicles and for them to be insured.

"I think a lot of us, on a daily basis, our heart is in our mouth when we see these scooters and, in fact, even the motorised bicycles," Conolly said.

Ebanks said he has heard the concerns and he and his team will "look to see what we can do and the traffic amendment and get back to this honourable house at a later date".

Hew asked if improvements will be made to the cycle path on West Bay Road travelling south, and if they will be green to create a visual barrier for motorists.

"The paving on the shoulder for the bike lanes was never completed because of the Water Authority's upgrades on the sewage lines," he said.

The minister responded that some works are being "looked after" and he will put more details, including a concept drawing and timeframes in writing for the MP.