Winston Brassington must come clean

May 04, 2012 Letters

Dear Sir,
I refer to your article titled “There is some concern over engineering services for Amalia road” in Sunday April 28th edition of Kaieteur News.
In the article Walter Willis states that the Ministry of Public Works had nothing to do with the road design. The article goes on to state that Willis noted that Motilall was responsible for designing sections one to five of the road.
Accepting it was Motilall’s responsibility to design the road one must understand that the parameters that Motilall used in his design were given in “Exhibit C, to the Design and Build Contract for Access Road and Clearing Works” in a document titled “REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS—AMAILA FALLS ROAD REHABILITATION/TRANSMISSION LINE CLEARING PROJECT” Prepared by National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited and dated December 2009.
It is in “Exhibit C” that a travel way width of five metres and permitted steepness up to 20% for the road is specified and Motillall used these specifications to design the road. Motilall is therefore blameless for this error.
On September 11, 2011 Sunday Stabroek News stated that the “Guidelines for design of Amaila Falls road poorly done—-review—experts call for urgent change”
While we have been told that the Ministry of Public Works had nothing to do with the road design the public has NOT been informed who advised the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited on the Guidelines for design of Amelia Falls which included an acceptable travel way width of five metres and permitted steepness up to 20% for the road. Mr. Brassington needs to come clean on this.
Mr Willis also states that SRKN’Gineering identified the design flaw and brought it to the attention of Sithe Global which in turn sought a second opinion from the Trinidadian (consulting engineers) company BBFL Caribbean Ltd. Examine the time line.
SRKN’Gineering was awarded a supervision contract during the first half of 2010. Its first task would be to review the design parameters. It was therefore engaged in supervising the project for more than a year before BBFL Caribbean Ltd submitted its report in July 2011.
Are we to believe SRKN’Gineering advised Sithe Global about the design flaws in mid 2010 and it took Sithe Global a year plus to seek a second opinion on such a vital issue? Keep in mind Motilall’s contract was for eight months and theoretically construction could have been completed before the error was discovered!
I don’t’ think so. I rather feel that what was reported in Stabroek News on September 11 is closer to the truth. This report states that the Chinese Dam Contractor discovered the design flaws in early 2011 and informed Sithe Global that if the road was constructed with these flaws it will be unsuitable. Sithe Global then sought a second opinion which indicated that SRKN’Gineering erred in its review of the original designs.
Is SRKN’Gineering now capable of designing the road for Section 7? Maybe. It may have hired competent designers to complete this task. If on the other hand it is fielding the same old team that erred in the design review then the Guyana Government may be in for unpleasant surprises.
Name Withheld

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Winston Brassington must come clean

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