Government architects are drawing up plans to extend it further into town, Works and Engineering Minister the Hon. Clarence Terceira disclosed yesterday.

But because the plan will likely involve purchasing private property, there may be opposition from East Broadway residents and property owners.

The plan calls for the four-lane roadway to be extended past Great Things furniture store to Spurling Hill, which may require Government to purchase "one or two'' pieces of property, Dr. Terceira said.

He said Government may have to negotiate to buy the old Island Coffee Island building, next to the old Waterfront Restaurant building and to push Great Things' pavement back a bit. But he stressed the historic Queen of the East property, reputed to be the Island's first brothel, would not be touched.

He said that if necessary Government would slap property owners with compulsory purchase orders. "The plans are only preliminary, though, and may change,'' he said.

Dr. Terceira added the project was "way down the road because of financial restraints on the economy''.

"When the recession turns around we will look at it more seriously,'' he said.

The Minister said he is still receiving "hundreds'' of compliments a week from residents on the new roadway -- officially opened last week -- and has had no complaints so far.

"It was a highly successful project,'' he said. Before the four-lane roadway there was one lane into Hamilton and one lane out, with a middle lane known as the "suicide lane'' because inbound traffic travelled it in the morning rush hour and outbound traffic in the evenings.