October 20th, 2022 – Nassau, The Bahamas

In January 2022, The Ministry of Works launched the Village Road Improvement Project which is designed to execute critical upgrades to various utilities and implement major roadworks on Village Road. The project includes new traffic signals, pavement replacement and the installation of a roundabout in front of Queen’s College and The Retreat Garden National Park, with the intent of improving traffic flow in the area.

The BNT has been in discussions with the Ministry of Works, seeking to minimize the impact of the roundabout and other roadworks on The Retreat. As the first national park on New Providence, The Retreat’s 11-acre historic botanical garden, was once one of the largest private palm collections in the world. It is a haven for native and migratory birds and is an important space for the community being the location for BNT’s popular fall events Wine and Art and Jollification.

While BNT’s preferred option would be to have no impact on The Retreat, the government has determined that a roundabout would be constructed, requiring the use of an area at the front of the property. This would necessitate the removal of a portion of The Retreat wall and some vegetation. The native plants and palm trees in the affected area will be transplanted into a different part of the park.

The BNT assures the public that the job of managing and protecting national parks dictates that we work diligently with the government to ensure minimal impact on The Retreat.

Despite our reservations, the BNT, while not in agreement with the government’s decision, have offered no objection that would cause further delay in roadworks or any protracted inconvenience for the motoring public and residents of Village Road. We hope the project proceeds smoothly, and that in the end, it provides residents of the area, motorists, and pedestrians better service with improved efficiency.

We continue to work with the Ministry of Works and the contractor to facilitate this part of the project and mitigate any impact on The Retreat. The contractor has also assured us that roadworks will be paused during the weekends of Wine and Art (October 29 and 30) and Christmas Jollification (November 18 to 20) to allow for normal traffic flow and access to The Retreat.