The Government of Antigua and Barbuda has moved to begin rehabilitation works on All Saints Road using the Ministry of Works, as “bureaucratic delays” continue to hold up a broader road improvement agreement with Canadian firm AmDex.

Director General of Communications in the Office of the Prime Minister, Maurice Merchant, made the announcement Thursday following Cabinet’s weekly meeting, confirming that equipment, materials, and personnel were already being mobilised and that works would begin next week.

“Every day, ministers get complaints. Every day on social media, people complain about All Saints Road. And so, the government feels, ‘hey, enough is enough’,” Merchant said.

The decision comes amid stalled negotiations with AmDex, which was originally engaged to carry out 11 miles of road improvements.

Merchant said the delays have been driven primarily by bureaucratic processes tied to the EC$100 million loan facility the government intends to use for the broader road development programme.

“The bureaucracy involved has proven to be very tedious,” he said, adding that while the process runs its course, the government was not prepared to leave All Saints Road unaddressed.

“While the bureaucracy continues with AmDex, the shift is just for other areas that are not as urgent as All Saints Road because of the urgency of All Saints Road,” Merchant said. “Public Works says, hey, we have the capacity.”

He was clear that removing All Saints Road from the AmDex scope did not reduce the total volume of work assigned to the Canadian firm.

The remaining roads — the Burning Flames Highway, Jonas Road, and additional routes — still represent the 11-mile total originally agreed upon, with negotiations ongoing.

Merchant said the Ministry of Works had demonstrated the capacity to handle the All Saints Road project in-house and that residents should expect to see construction activity on the road as early as next week.

Road users were encouraged to exercise caution and cooperate with traffic management measures during the construction period.

Cabinet’s rehabilitation of All Saints Road forms part of a broader infrastructure strategy that has seen road improvement works carried out across communities throughout Antigua and Barbuda in recent years, including works conducted during night and early morning hours to minimise disruption.