After a decade-long wait, residents of Devon Spring Road are getting their road back again.The south entrance of the road has been closed off since 2003 because the cliff beneath it is crumbling.Work started this week on a retaining wall at the property, 63 South Shore Road, where brothers Ronnie and Ricky Lopes run businesses Pet Care and Party Plus.For years, Government claimed the adjacent road was private, and that residents would have to pay for the upgrade themselves.“I call it the controversial wall,” said Ronnie Lopes, surveying the new cutting from the porch outside his store.“It feels good, especially for the neighbours. They’re the ones that have had to deal with the road being closed off for ten years, so we’re happy for them.”Added Mr Lopes: “Honestly, the main thing for me is I’ll be able to go places without people asking me when the road is going to get opened up again.“It was like the conversation that never went away.”The work outside the stores hasn’t affected business, he said.The timing of the November, 2012 announcement that a retaining wall would be built caused some residents to dismiss the move as an election ploy.The tendering also prompted cries of foul from a competitor for the job, who questioned why the contract was awarded to Martin Brown and Company Limited.That contract, worth $197,500, was given in August, 2012, a Public Works spokesman said last night.The job Devon Spring Road broke ground on Monday, and the work is expected to take 12 weeks.Added the spokesman: “The project was tendered and evaluated in accordance with the guidelines as devised by the Office of Project Management and Procurement.“These guidelines were created to ensure a fair and transparent method of procuring goods and services for Government.“The Contract Award recommendation was also vetted and approved by the Office of Project Management and Procurement.”