Plans for an extensive month-long closure of Ladder Hill Road, a vital access road and one of the busiest roads on St Helena leading in and out of Jamestown was dramatically you turned following the discovery of sub-standard bitumen, leading to a temporary delay for road users
Initially, the Highways Authority had announced a closure of Ladder Hill Road and Shy Road from 9:00 AM on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, to Thursday, July 31, 2025. This ambitious undertaking, part of the Economic Development Investment Programme (EDIP), aimed to facilitate full-width surface works with a micro-paver, a crucial step in rehabilitating a key section of the island’s primary road network. The closure was set to significantly impact all vehicular traffic and pedestrians, with emergency services and public transport also facing disruptions. Travellers needing to access Jamestown were directed to use alternative routes via Side Path or Constitution Hill Road.
However, a last-minute turn of events saw the original closure period drastically changed. The public was advised that Ladder Hill Road would now only be closed from Tuesday, July 1, until 3:30 PM on Friday, July 4, 2025. During this shortened window, the Roads Section focused on prep work, including the replacement of a section of slipper drain, repair of road defects, and milling of various areas.
The reason for this abrupt change was the recent shipment of slurry bitumen, which was found to be “below the required specification.” This critical flaw rendered the bitumen unusable for the planned full-width re-surfacing, as it would have compromised the surface quality.
New closure dates for the re-surfacing have now been tentatively scheduled from Monday, August 4, 2025, until Friday, August 22, 2025. This revised schedule is contingent on the arrival of a suitable supply of bitumen on “Voyage 18” later in July, as well as favourable weather conditions.
The planned works for this later period include the full road width re-surfacing using the mechanised slurry paver, starting from China Lane and extending to the Ball Alley at the top.
The Roads Section extended its sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused by this change, expressing appreciation for the public’s understanding and continued support.
This road closure highlighted the challenges of undertaking vital infrastructure projects on St Helena where the timely and quality-controlled delivery of essential materials remains a challenging factor. Ladder Hill Road, for now, remains open, but the island now awaits the arrival of acceptable bitumen to complete this much-needed rehabilitation.