Canaries, Saint Lucia – A truck belonging to the roadworks crew involved in the Canaries to Soufrière rehabilitation project toppled early Thursday afternoon after a retaining wall gave way near the worksite. The incident, which occurred in a narrow section of the roadway, fortunately resulted in no injuries and only minor property damage.
Michael Alphonse, Community Liaison Officer at NAMALCO Construction Services Ltd — the contractor executing the project — confirmed that the wall which collapsed was a pre-existing structure not erected by the company.
“It was a narrow call,” Alphonse told Saint Lucia Daily Post. “The wall gave way slowly, giving workers enough time to react. The truck driver was alerted in time, and everyone got off safely. I even checked the nearby house to ensure no one was inside — luckily, it was empty. The truck came to a stop just short of the building.”
Alphonse praised the calm and coordinated response of the team, noting that their training and professionalism helped prevent a potential tragedy. He also stressed that NAMALCO had taken proactive steps to inform the community in advance, given the known risks in the area.
“From last Thursday, we had our team on the ground doing house-to-house visits to inform residents about the works, the possible disruptions from noise, dust, and traffic, and to reassure them about our safety protocols,” he said. “We also sent updates to the minibus association and posted notices online.”
While the incident caused a temporary delay, the company expects to complete that particular stretch of road by the weekend. “We were hoping to finish today, but with the incident, we’re now targeting Friday or Saturday,” Alphonse said.
He acknowledged that recent weather conditions may have contributed to the wall’s failure. “Heavy rainfall can definitely compromise structures like retaining walls, especially older ones. The engineers will have to assess the site further.”
The Canaries to Soufrière road project, which began in late April, forms part of a broader initiative to upgrade key sections of Saint Lucia’s west coast roadway.
NAMALCO is expected to release a statement later today.
