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West Dem. road expansion project “65% complete”
Works being carried out in Harlem, West Coat Demerara.
Permanent Secretary (Acting) of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Geoffrey Vaughn said yesterday that works on the US$42M West Demerara Road Expansion Project are moving apace, and approximately 65 percent complete.
Based on previous reports, Kaieteur News was able to track the progress of the work since it commenced in March 2015.
Nine months after commencement, works were 20 percent complete. However, there were some issues with regards to mobilisation and inclement weather.
By June 2016, works were 30 percent. At this point, the project was said to be behind schedule.
Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, told media operatives at his Ministry’s end-of-year press conference, that as of September 2016, works were 40 percent complete.
The previous update on the project was reported by this publication last month when the project was 60 percent complete.
This means, it took the contractors approximately one month to complete five percent of the works.
Based on the deadline – January 2018 – and works completed to date, the contractors have almost 10 months to complete the remaining 35 percent of the undertaking.
Over the past few weeks, there have been calls for works to be done at night. However, when Vaughn was quizzed, he said that it was the contractors’ decision to make as to whether they should work at nights. He made it clear that the Ministry cannot ‘force’ contractors to work at nights.
The works are being carried out by means of a joint venture— Jamaican engineering Company – Surrey Paving and Aggregate (SPA), and local construction company, BK International.
The objective of the venture is to increase efficiency and safety of road transportation along the West Coast Demerara Road from Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie, East Bank Essequibo, and combines six components – Road Works, Road Safety Awareness, Capacity Building, Road Works Supervision, Monitoring and Evaluation and Project Management.
The Road Works Component entails the improvement of approximately 30.7 km of the West Coast Demerara Road from Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie, just about one mile east of Parika.
A section of the public road on the East Bank of Essequibo already completed.
This aspect of the project includes pavement rehabilitation, road widening for the separation of pedestrians and cyclists from motorized traffic, installation of traffic signs and road markings, provision of additional highway lights, replacement of the Groenveldt Bridge – which has already been completed – extension and repairs to culverts and relocation of utilities.
During a visit to the West Demerara and villages located in the East Bank Essequibo area yesterday, works were seen ongoing.
Works were completed in several villages including communities west of Tuschen. Final touches were seen being added to other areas including De Willem, Zeeburg and several parts of Uitvlugt.
Widening was seen being carried out at several villages including Vreed-en-Hoop, Mary, Nouvelle Flanders and Harlem.
EAST COAST DEMERARA ROAD EXPANSION
Meanwhile, the second phase of the stalled East Coast Demerara road-widening project is expected to begin this month.
The US$46M project was awarded to China Railway First Group Limited. The first phase of the project, which was the preparatory work, had been completed since 2015 at a cost of some $500M.
While the commencement of the second half of the project was on hold, the sand and other materials used in preparation of the expansion had been washing onto the existing road, leading many to believe that it was just a waste of tax dollars.
The East Coast Road Expansion project was tainted by the findings of the Auditor General for the years 2014 and 2015. The reports showed that a number of overpayments were made to the phase one contractors, under the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government.
The East Coast road-widening and improvement project caters for a section of the main thoroughfare between Better Hope and Belfield.
Vaughn could not give an exact date for the recommencement of works, since according to him, the contractor is yet to submit the required bond. This, he said, is needed before the contractor begins mobilising.
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