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Supenaam stelling undergoes third rehabilitation in one year
– repairs to beam, new pontoon included in works
Repairs are underway to the multi-million-dollar Supenaam stelling to correct a number of defects with authorities yesterday saying that the facility could be recommissioned as early as next month.
Briefing Kaieteur News yesterday on the works, for which Government has set aside over $50M, Minister of Public Works and Transport, Robeson Benn, also disclosed that a concrete support beam will have to be repaired and a new pontoon built.
In the initial phase, vehicles using the stelling will be limited to a maximum of 22 tonnes to ensure that the structure is functioning according to requirements.
Engineers had hoped to put the stelling in use by February 11 but discovered a suspect beam which they determined could develop into a serious fault if left alone.
Last year, the stelling ramp buckled under the weight of heavy vehicles, days after it was open to ferry traffic in May.
Following the collapse of the ramp which effectively closed the stelling, President Bharrat Jagdeo had ordered a report on the incident tasking Prime Minister Samuel Hinds to oversee it.
Two private engineers were hired to investigate the incident.
There had been meetings with several of the parties involved in the construction of the stelling including the contractors, BK International; the Ministry of Local Government, which was the executing agency, the Ministry of Public Works, the supervisors, Vikab Engineering and the designers, SNC Lavelin.
Key to these meetings was which parties would have been footing the bill to fix the defects and subsequent damage to the facility. However, the report has not been released nor has blame been apportioned, at least publicly.
In January 2010, the stelling was handed over to the Ministry of Public Works which claimed that it had raised concerns over some problems that were evident.
Almost four days after it was opened to traffic in May, the stelling was forced to close operations after its ramp buckled under the weight of a truck boarding a ferry.
The multi-million dollar Supenaam stelling which authorities hope could be put into use by next month.
The contractor, BK International, distancing itself from the incident, took media houses on an inspection shortly after and stated that modification works on the ramp by the Ministry of Public Works had caused the problems.
Late in April, an extra pontoon being installed by the Ministry sank while work was being done to attach it to the ramp.
BK International, during the tour, had claimed that the modifications, including the extra pontoon and the drawbridge, were not needed, since tests had found that the one pontoon could have taken the weight.
The officials believed that the modification works compromised the structural integrity of the stelling.
During a press conference, Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn had stressed that his Ministry only took over the facility in January, and in a pressure situation, immediately started works to rectify a number of problems inherited from the construction phase to ensure that the facility was brought to use.
The Ministry expended an additional $18M to add a new pontoon and a drawbridge to allow vehicles to load and offload from the ferries. This was expenditure in addition to $431M that the structure is said to have cost.
The stelling is crucial to easing the woes of Essequibo residents who wanted to visit the city. With the current stelling at Adventure in a dilapidated state, authorities had pinpointed Supenaam as an ideal area for the facility which they said would cut ferry time from Region Two to Parika by hours. (by Leonard Gildarie)
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