Latest update November 23rd, 2024 1:00 AM
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“Unsuitable soil” slows down airport expansion project
– engineers to make adjustments to runway
Engineers working on the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) runway expansion project will have to make what appear to be major adjustments to their plan due to unsuitable soil in some areas.
Kaieteur News has confirmed that engineers are at present conducting soil tests on the southern end of the airport runway after encountering “unsuitable soil” at the northern section of the runway.
Clearing continued yesterday for sand mining
Because of this, officials say the proposed design of the expanded runway is likely to change from the original plan, in which the runway would have been extended to the north. With the new plan, part of the runway will now also be extended at the southern end.
Public Works Chief Roads and Bridges Engineer, Ron Rahaman, who is overseeing the project, told this newspaper that workers commenced some amount of preparatory work north of the runway.
He explained that the soil on the south seems to be better. “Right now we are doing a survey to the south of the airport because when we went to the north; we found unsuitable soil conditions, so we are doing the survey and ‘bore hole testing’ to see if there are better soil conditions.”
“Preliminary reports are showing that the soil on the south is better so we may extend the runway; some to the south and some to the north; as against initially, it was going completely to the north.”
This section where testing is currently ongoing is about 60 metres wide by 100 metres long and is about 80 percent completed.
Rahaman told the publication that the final report on the changes is not in as yet. He was therefore unable to say if the changes will lead to additional cost on the project.
It was explained that operators are currently fine tuning the design for the airport terminal building and the contractor, China Habour (CHEC) is finalizing construction of their site office and accommodation for workers. The site is located alongside the Guyana Defence Force’s Camp Stephenson Base.
Work on the northern end of the runway slowed down as testing is done to the south
Shadow Public Workers Minister for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Joseph Harmon has however expressed discontent with the manner in which the project is ongoing and the failure of the government to provide relevant documentations regarding the project.
He expressed surprise that new variations would be done to the project and pointed out that the opposition is not aware of any changes. The Shadow Minister has promised to make inquiries into the development since the opposition had demanded clarity on all aspects of the project.
“That is why the opposition parties insisted on viewing the projects feasibility studies and supporting documents. It is for this reason we cannot have opaqueness with these contracts and their variations.”
“We asked for the environmental study, the actual project drawing and technical details. We asked for the relocation plan for the Timehri residents and we are still to receive it,” Harmon posited.
The APNU member also expressed concern about a raising issue involving sand mining behind the Timehri North community.
Public Workers Minister Robeson Benn had told this publication that the government gave the Chinese permission to mine sand in the community, but Harmon questioned, “Since when does the Works Ministry give permission for sand mining?”
Harmon said that Public Works Ministry is not the subject ministry involved in sand mining and called the act “unlawful,” since there are several processes before such an activity is conducted.
Up to yesterday Chinese workers were clearing vegetation to continue sand mining activities close to the where community farmers had relocated during the commencement of the project. Benn said that the area was previously a dumpsite and mining pit, but investigations show that the existing sand mining pit is located some distance from where the mining is being done.
Residents said that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) visited the community last week and told the Chinese supervisor that mining cannot be conducted in any part of the community, especially since their currently mining is a small valley.
Residents said work halted during EPA’s visit but continued the very next day.
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