Paving work on South Road near the junction with Collector’s Hill in Smith’s has been delayed after a piece of machinery broke down.

Road resurfacing work at the site halted yesterday after a paver — a piece of construction equipment used to lay tarmac on to roads — broke down.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works said that a westbound section of the road between Devon Spring Lane and Cloverdale Road was now hazardous because it had been stripped in preparation for resurfacing.

The ministry has now rented a paver from East End Asphalt and, depending on weather conditions, the work is scheduled to resume and be completed by Monday.

In the interim, crews will place cones along the centre of the roadway to indicate where the surface is uneven. Motorists are advised to cross this area with great care.

The spokesman said: “The ministry apologises for the inconvenience this delay may cause and appreciates the public's patience and co-operation as the work to improve the Island's roadways continues.”

Much of the island’s road network has fallen into a state of disrepair in recent years, with many roads becoming pitted with potholes that reappear within days of being repaired due to heavy rains.

Sections of South Road at the junction with Collector’s Hill were resurfaced in February as “a temporary measure” to the pothole problem. But within three days the surface was littered with fresh craters.

The Government has almost doubled its road resurfacing budget to $5 million this year in a drive to tackle the problem.