Baie Lazare’s Au Sed residents get new road |21 September 2011

Located high up on a Baie Lazare hill, the Au Sed road -- which was officially opened on Sunday afternoon -- will serve around 40 families.

District administrator Trefle  Revera, who unveiled a plaque to officially open the road, said the project has not been an easy one but had to be done, since the residents have been waiting for this road for over 10 years.

“We understand that having a road is an important aspect in life for a person, his family and a community, and without it a lot of hardships will set in,” he said.

He said it was the district authorities who put forward the project to the government who, despite economic difficulties, made sure the project started and was completed for the benefit of the residents and others who will use the road.

Mr Revera said the road is around 100 metres long and although there was no road access to Au Sed prior to that, the residents were already connected to utilities like electricity and treated water.

Some of the residents recounted the difficulties they had faced before the road was built, such as having to carry their things by hand all the way up the hillside and how when someone fell sick, they had to be carried on someone’s back all the way down to where the ambulance could reach, which was very far down the hillside.

Parish priest Father Silvain blessed the road and led a prayer for all present, after which he appealed to the owners of land in that area to consider donating a piece of land for the building of a chapel. 

Several young Baie Lazare residents also seized the opportunity to display their cultural skills to those present, with some dance moves for their spectators.
 
Mr Revera said the project had cost the government around R1 million and that its first phase has taken two months to complete.

The second and final phase will go through Val D’Andorre and connect with the Lo Glacis community.