The installation of a new asphalt plant, which the Government plans to use to progress repairs to the island’s road network, may be delayed.

In March, Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minister of Public Works, said that the new plant — costing almost $6.2 million from US-based firm Astec Industries Inc — would not be operational for at least another nine months.

When asked for an update yesterday, he conceded that “it is going to be a little longer than that”.

Colonel Burch said he planned to make a public statement in the next few weeks “on where we currently are with equipment, the plant itself and the current asphalting that we are doing in the country”.

At the moment, he said the pothole issue on the island had “died down”.

In March, Colonel Burch said investment in the new plant was “a real sign of progress in addressing the state of our roads” and “marks a crucial step towards fulfilling the Government’s goal of improving Bermuda’s road conditions, which have been a focal point of public concern”.

The island’s 100 miles of roads fell into disrepair in recent years, in part because of a lack of funding for maintenance work.

Last year, the Government set up a potholes hotline to address the problem, which was exacerbated by record-level rainfalls.

In the Budget this year, the Government set aside $5 million for road repairs and resurfacing — double the amount allocated in recent years.