Major public construction projects including two new high schools and a new government office building will add more costs in the next government budget as well as the current budget, according to estimates released by ruling United Democratic Party officials last week.

Health Minister Mark Scotland, speaking at a public meeting last Tuesday, said government still had to pay $100 million toward the construction of the new John Gray and Clifton Hunter high school projects.

Those costs would be spread over both the current budget year, which ends on 30 June, and the next budget, which the government will propose on 30 April.

Some costs that were expected to be paid this year for the schools' construction had to be deferred largely because of a dispute with the former project contractor, Tom Jones International, which forced a more than two-month delay in site works.

The total construction costs of the two schools had previously been estimated at $120 million, but those expenses were expected to rise because the construction budget did not include the fit out for the inside of the school buildings - fixtures, furniture and the like.

On Thursday, Premier McKeeva Bush said at least an additional $15 million would have to be spent on road works to accommodate the new government office building on Elgin Avenue.

The $85 million building is expected to house the majority of Cayman's government departments, as well as the governor's office. 

"When that building is finished, we're going to need a road to Shedden Road and we're going to have to widen Elgin Avenue," Mr. Bush told the Legislative Assembly on Thursday. 

In addition to the government office building, the new Walkers law firm office building on Elgin is expected to bring extra traffic into the area once it opens.  

Specific plans about the road widening or construction projects have not been released.  

 National Roads Authority officials have a “conceptual” plan for a 50-foot wide road connecting Elgin Avenue and Shedden Road, according to Deputy Managing Director Edward Howard. 

The initial proposal thought to use land adjacent to Cricket Square on the Elgin Avenue side and Rohelio’s Car Wash on the other.

“The previous government was non-committal towards the project,” Mr. Howard said in an e-mailed statement.  

Mr. Howard said the current ruling government is aware of the plans, but no formal talks about gazetting, design or engineering have taken place.

“I believe, however, with the impending opening of the new government office building that this issue will resurface shortly and with greater priority,” Mr. Howard said.