The new Sivananda Avenue in Palmerstone, Vacoas, was inaugurated this morning by the Minister of National Infrastructure and Community Development, Mr. Mahendranuth Sharma Hurreeram, in the presence of the Parliamentary Private Secretary, Mr. Jean Francisco Francois; Member of Parliament, Mr. Ashley Ittoo; and other dignitaries.
Minister Hurreeram was accompanied by a delegation from Rodrigues, led by the Deputy Chief Commissioner and Commissioner responsible for, among other things, infrastructure, including highways and roads, and public buildings and services, Mr. Franceau Aubret Grandcourt.
The new Sivananda Avenue is a component of the road improvement project in Palmerstone, Vacoas. The objective of the project is to reduce chronic traffic congestion from Vacoas to the Palmerstone junction and the Jumbo traffic circle, while allowing for a better interface of the road network with the Metro Express project.
In a statement, the Minister of National Infrastructure and Community Development informed that the new Sivananda Avenue is now open to vehicles from Vacoas to Jumbo Phoenix and Port Louis. “This new road network will allow the continuous free flow of vehicles and improve the ease and comfort of road users,” he added.
Furthermore, Mr. Hurreeram stressed that the new infrastructure project is being implemented in accordance with international standards and practices. He said that the other component of the infrastructure project, namely the construction of the Fly-Over, starting from Independence Street and crossing Swami Sivananda Avenue and the railway line, would be completed by August 2022.
The minister also pointed out that the opening of the new road offered an opportunity for the delegation from Rodrigues to learn about one of the major infrastructure projects underway in Mauritius. “We are sharing local knowledge and experience so that any future project in Rodrigues will be subject to the same quality standards as in Mauritius,” said Mr. Hurreeram.
For his part, the Deputy Chief Commissioner explained that his visit to Mauritius stems from the Minister of National Infrastructure and Community Development’s mission to Rodrigues two weeks ago, where collaboration and mutual cooperation were discussed and established. “The objective of my visit is to take into account the way infrastructure projects are undertaken in Mauritius and to adopt a similar course of action without neglecting the specificities of Rodrigues,” he said.
In addition, Mr. Grandcourt said that the Road Development Authority and the Land Drainage Authority would assist the Rodriguan administration for the sustainable development of Rodrigues. In this context, several meetings and site visits are planned during the stay of the Rodriguan delegation in Mauritius.
