Overview:
A community-led initiative aims to rehabilitate and make the perilous Kenscoff-Marigot road in southeast Port-au-Prince drivable. Making the cliffhanger road more accessible to cars provides many people with a crucial alternative for reaching Haiti’s Great South, including major cities in the Southeast, South, and Grande-Anse departments. If this project is successful, it could improve mobility while reducing the risks associated with gang-controlled areas and routes.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — The Kenscoff-Marigot road, once a challenging dirt track through Haiti’s rugged mountains, is becoming a lifeline for residents seeking safer travel to the Great South. As insecurity grips National Route 2, a gang-controlled highway, this rehabilitated road offers a crucial alternative for Haitians like Rooben Claude Pierre, who no longer has to risk his life traveling by boat or paying gangs for safe passage.
“It’s a real opportunity for me to see my family,” Pierre told The Haitian Times. “I’m tired of risking my life crossing the sea in a makeshift wooden boat to get home because gangs control National Road No. 2.”
The road linking Kenscoff to Marigot in the Southeast Department is now frequented by dozens of private vehicles daily, even though it is a perilous dirt track through the mountains, valleys, and cliffs. The insecurity in Haiti, particularly in Port-au-Prince, forces many Haitians to consider any alternative that connects the capital to the country’s other departments. When they aren’t risking their lives on nearly nonexistent roads, they must pay gangs for passage or opt for boat travel, which is sometimes attacked by gang members as well.
Osny Dumé, a young man from Cavallion in the South who left Port-au-Prince in June 2023, said he would not return until the authorities resolve the gang problem. He pointed out that the Kenscoff-Marigot route remains too expensive and dangerous for him.
“I prefer to avoid Port-au-Prince for now,” he told The Haitian Times. “I don’t want to compromise my safety on that difficult and perilous road. Moreover, boat travel in the region is unsafe, as gangs often attack passengers on boats, heightening the threat of losing our lives at sea.”
From Kenscoff to Marigot, it is about 8 miles, covering several communal sections, including Ti Miska and Tèt Kajak, the most populous areas. Once residents reach Marigot, their travel to the rest of the Great South becomes easier.
According to one Marigot official, the work that began in August is progressing well and is on track to be completed promptly, highlighting the project’s importance for the residents’ reliable mobility. However, he was unable to provide an explicit timeline or details regarding the cost and source of funding for the project.
“There is no planned budget,” a tractor operator said, requesting anonymity for not being authorized to speak to reporters. “The project executors have been collecting contributions from locals and road passersby to finance the road construction, one step at a time.”
“This is a community project,” Adrien Alté, a member of the Kenscoff Communal Section Administration Council (CASEC), said. “These works are based on solidarity among the concerned communities and serve as an example of the endurance of the local communities toward a safer future,” he added.
“This is a vital road for everyone, not just for Kenscoff. It will make it easier for everyone to access the Great South. Currently, it takes between 45 minutes to an hour by car. It is becoming a crucial link between the West Department and the Southeast.”
Déus Déronneth, Former Deputy of Marigot
Déroneth agreed with Alté, saying the road construction project is a collective effort involving the community residents as key players. “The Ministry of Public Works, Transport, and Communications (MTPTC) only provides the necessary materials,” the former Haitian parliamentarian said.
“This road is essential for the entire country. Kenscoff, a mountainous commune in the West Department, is one of the least affected by sociopolitical instability and gang-led insecurity. Due to its rugged terrain—over 2,000 meters above sea level—this area is less vulnerable to gang attacks that attempt to set up toll stations on roads leading to Port-au-Prince.”
“This is a vital road for everyone, not just for Kenscoff. It will make it easier for all to access the Great South. Currently, it takes between 45 minutes to an hour by car, despite being perilous.”
The inhabitants of the Great South are eagerly awaiting the completion of the project, which could mark a turning point in their daily lives by facilitating quicker access to safer areas and reducing their dependence on dangerous roads.
For one, Nicole Mathieu from Les Cayes expressed her view on the current state of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital and its surrounding areas. “I still don’t see what would make me live in Port-au-Prince. Even Miragoâne is out of reach because of the condition of the roads and gang issues,” Mathieu said.
Following are more photos taken by Arnold Junior Pierre, The Haitian Times contributor in Haiti:
