Synthetic Track construction reaches second phase

Nov 10, 2012 Sports

– Phase completion projection: mid next year

By Edison Jefford
Against the backdrop of a previous admission that there is not enough emphasis on engaging the media on various aspects of construction of the Synthetic Track and Field Facility, Deputy Permant Secretary within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steve Ninvalle hosted a briefing yesterday at the facility’s Leonora site.

Works ongoing on Phase II of the Synthetic Track and Field Facility at Leonora
that is expected to be asphalted before December for the laying of the
rubberised track scheduled to commence in January. (Kaieteur Sport Photograph)

Ninvalle had committed to regular media updates on the progress of the facility. He was happy to report that Phase I of the project, which was awarded to Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited, was completed and works are ongoing on Phase II. Director of the oversight company, Design and Construction Services Limited (DCSL), Patrick Pitt, accompanied Ninvalle.
“We don’t want the Media to be ‘ifing’ and guessing; we want you to be on the ground with us so that you will be able to see for yourselves whether or not we’re making progress here. We want you to be informed,” Ninvalle told reporters at the site visit yesterday.
The synthetic track has three main phases with several sub-lots or components. Phase I started in December 2010, and was expected to last six months; it included drainage and irrigation works, construction of two culverts, main access road and land preparation works, which included the loam filling process that allows for Phase II to commence.
Courtney Benn had won the award for Phase I after submitting a $124, 960, 227M bid. Works in Phase II, Lot 5 is currently underway; these include, grading of the loam, filling base up to loam level and sub-surface drainage. Visibly, the track has been defined on the loam surface at about 1 metre above road level.
Asked if the current level will avoid flooding, Pitt said that unless there is a major tsunami in the country, the synthetic facility cannot flood, as was a concern of some critics.
“All of Guyana has to flood before this track flood,” Pitt retorted.
He also indicated that they are so far operating with the Engineers’ Estimate, and they are within the budgeted sum to complete the track when Kaieteur Sport asked if the cost will escalate based on the setbacks that were encountered last year and earlier this year. US$5M was set as the sum to complete the entire facility.
At this point, crusher runs will be enforced and two layers of asphalt will be laid over the loam at the base currently; then there will be a ‘bleeding’ process of the loam to get rid of the oil in the asphalt before a decision is made to lay the actual rubber track on the concrete base.
BK International is responsible for works in this phase. Pitt explained that a representative from German company, BSW Regupol, which is the source company for the rubberised track, will visit in December to make a decision on when the track will be laid based on their authentication of the works that have been done.
Based on those projections, Pitt said that before mid next year the track should be laid. However, that depends on whether Regupol and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), who has to sanction the facility for international standards, are satisfied with the base work that the Guyanese contractors have done.