backtracking on a promise to close the road off to traffic.

The road leads to the Island's newest school for more than 1,150 students, CedarBridge Academy.

And chairman of the Frog Lane Condo Association, Terry Flood, told The Royal Gazette the heavy traffic expected to travel along the road not only posed a threat to the value of property in the area, but to lives as well.

"We have been very patient about this,'' he said. "But I don't want to wait until a child is killed from Prospect Primary or our estate.'' Mr. Flood said residents had objected to Schools Drive being used as an access road to CedarBridge from its inception.

"We were assured in a letter that this would not happen and that they would put up a gate which will only open for emergency vehicles,'' he said, referring to a letter as recently as this year from principal highways engineer Ian MacLeod.

In the letter -- dated March 3, 1997, Mr. MacLeod said: "The possibility that school traffic would use Schools Drive has been identified and I agree that it would be highly undesirable for this traffic to go through such a residential area. I therefore intend to close off Schools Drive at a certain point to prevent this from occurring.'' Yesterday Mr. MacLeod told The Royal Gazette that a gate was to be erected "most likely this week''.

But Works and Engineering Minister C.V. (Jim) Woolridge said the road was needed for the heavy equipment needed to complete the school's auditorium and emergency vehicles.

"It will take another year before Ruth Seaton James Auditorium is completed,'' Mr. Woolridge said. "This road will have to be there until the completion. You can't have a mass project like that going on without allowing for cranes or whatever else might have to come in there.'' Mr. Woolridge also pointed out that Government was investing some $4.5 million into improving roads which will connect with the $70 million CedarBridge.

This, he noted, included work on Dock Hill and Frog Lane which has already started, plans to place a roundabout on Montpelier Road, and modifications to the junction of Tee Street and Middle Road which is expected to improve traffic flow.

Devonshire South MP Michael Dunkley said both he and MP John Barritt, who represent the area, were well aware of residents' concerns.

"Mr. Barritt and I have been aware of that from the beginning, not only from the Schools Drive side but also from the other side which is the Mary Victoria and Alexander Road housing developments,'' he said.

"So from day one we've been communicating with the Ministries of Education and Works and Engineering and in fact as late as Thursday night we met with Terry at one of their executive meetings.

"This was one of the issues discussed. And we followed it up with the Ministers from there. So I was quite surprised to hear that Terry was concerned that the roads were going to be kept open.'' Mr. Dunkley said he was assured that the residential roads would be closed to traffic "as soon as the work is done'' at CedarBridge.

"But until the school is finished, including construction on the Ruth Seaton James Auditorium, you can't very well have all the access through one area,'' Mr. Dunkley added. "It would not be safe to have kids (CedarBridge students) going through and construction equipment.'' He said he and Mr. Barritt were also "pushing very strongly'' to have the area closely monitored.

"Mr. Barritt and I will keep right on top of it because we are aware of their (Schools Drive residents') concerns,'' Mr. Dunkley stressed. "And we want to work not only for them, but for residents on the other side, Mary Victoria and Alexander roads.''