Africa-Press – Mauritius. The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, proceeded, this afternoon, to the official opening of the Verdun Bypass (Phase 1). To the tune of some Rs 403 million, the project consists of the construction of 2.7 km long new single carriageway road to bypass the Verdun village connecting Alma and Motorway M3 (Terre Rouge – Verdun – Trianon Link Road).
The Minister of National Infrastructure and Community Development, Mr Mahendranuth Sharma Hurreeram; the Parliamentary Private Secretary, Mr Nand Prakash Ramchurrun; the Chairman and Board members of the Road Development Authority; as well as representatives from the ENL Group were also present.
In his address, Prime Minister Jugnauth highlighted that this project forms part of the Road Decongestion Programme whose objective is to alleviate traffic congestion along the main roads across the country. He underlined that this Bypass will address the severe traffic congestion encountered within the region of St Pierre and Verdun.
He added that the Verdun Bypass will provide an alternate route access to drivers coming from the region of Flacq/ Camp de Masque towards Reduit and Moka which will alleviate traffic congestion especially during peak hours, improve road connectivity, and enhance the travel experience of commuters.
Moreover, the PM pointed out that with upcoming development in that part of the country such as the Moka Smart City, the Bypass will provide a rapid link connection in the region for the future.
Furthermore, he enumerated several other projects in the pipeline aimed at addressing road congestion and which will help road users save fuel and time, thereby reducing vehicle emissions.
They include: La Vigie-La Brasserie-Beau Songes Road; Flic en Flac Bypass; Bois Cheri Bypass; Savanne A9 between La Flora and Tyack; and Hermitage Bypass. Prime Minister Jugnauth underpinned that all these new roads will include a bicycle lane as is the case for the Verdun Bypass.
He rejoiced that this new initiative will increase the safety and comfort of area bicyclists, and encourage cycling by ensuring that there is a safe place for bicyclists.
The vision of Government, he stated, is to create a network of bicycle lane across the country. This measure will also encourage the population to be physically more active and therefore healthier, he underscored.
Speaking about the collaboration between the public and private sectors, Prime Minister Jugnauth expressed gratitude towards the ENL Group Ltd for facilitating many governmental projects in terms of provision of land, tree planting, embellishment of the environment, and infrastructure development.
He also spoke of the cost sharing mechanism between the public and private sectors for the development of projects such as the Smart City. He recalled that several infrastructural projects had to be put on hold due to the difficult economic situation brought about by COVID-19.
He stated that Government has disbursed a significant amount of funds to sustain workers, the self-employed, and enterprises during these challenging times.
He said that the efforts of Government have been recognised by the World Bank which, in its Report, has lauded Mauritius as one of the rare countries in the world to have provided so much support to enterprises and workers.
He gave the assurance that Government will continue to implement essential projects with the objective of enhancing the quality of life of each citizen.
The Prime Minister concluded by appealing to the population to abide by all traffic rules, speed limits, and traffic signs and signals. He underlined that road users should take all precautions to prevent road accidents and loss of life.
The Verdun Bypass Project The contract for the project was awarded on 19 August 2021 to Gamma Construction Ltd. Works kickstarted on 30 September 2021and were completed on 31 March 2023.
The project consists of the following: construction of 2.7 km long new single carriageway of width 7.0m with 1.5m wide shoulder on both sides; construction of a new roundabout at DagotieĢre and two slip lanes for connection with M3; provision of storm water drainage structures including the design and construction of a culvert; upgrading and realignment of part of existing Verdun Road, B50; construction of cycle lane from Alma to Motorway M3 over a length of 2.7 km; and design and construction of a Dumb Bell Shape Roundabout at Junction M3/A7 Road in lieu of the existing signalised junction for better traffic flows.
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