Region commences rehabilitation works on Black Bush Polder road

Jul 16, 2019 News

The Regional Six administration has started works on the deplorable Black Bush Polder road after the Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, stated that it is the responsibility of the Regional Chairman and Vice Chairman to fix the road, although it falls within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure’s responsibility.

The repairs that is being done by contractor Peter Lewis.

This was confirmed by Regional Chairman David Armogan. He disclosed that works began on Saturday and are expected to be completed within two weeks.
According to Armogan, “We at the region have decided that we can no longer wait on the Ministry of Public Infrastructure because we have an obligation to the people of this region. Therefore we had to intervene to ensure that something is done on the road.
“I instructed the Regional Executive Officer, with the support of the councillors from both sides, to ensure that a contract or contracts are given out to start rehabilitation works on the road. That has started.”

The holes that were affecting drivers.

The contracts were awarded to contractor Peter Lewis and Ahmad. Ahmad has commenced the filling of the existing potholes while Lewis will follow up with sealing the potholes. The sealing, the Chairman said, will allow for a better standard of work which will last longer.
Over $8M has been taken from the maintenance budget to carry out the works, leaving other roads that were slated to be done in limbo.
“Other roads will suffer because we are taking this money out from the maintenance budget so it simply means that other roads that were slated to have works done will be put on hold. At some other point when we have more money we will deal with the other roads,” Armogan pointed out.
Meanwhile, in addition to the potholes on the roadway, several complaints were raised about the thick dirt that is left on the roadways after farmers drive out their agricultural machinery from the back-dams, that has also been the main concern for many drivers traversing the route during the wet season.
Armogan stated that the issue is an ongoing one and on many occasions, farmers are advised to wash off their machines before driving on the Black Bush Polder road. That however has never been done.
“Farmers don’t want to wash their machines and you see the cage wheels. It traps the mud; it destroys the dam as well. So it is two problems there. One is that the dam is destroyed and then they bring a lot of mud onto the road. That cakes on to the road and eventually lifts the asphalt so this too is a major issue.
“The farmers don’t seem to care and listen because they are working with their own convenience. In Suriname you can’t go on the road with mud. There is a specific place allocated with security for farmers to park their machines and wash but the farmers here I believe, should consider this,” the Chairman said.
It was just a week ago that Hire Car drivers refused to work and protested the deplorable state of the Black Bush Polder access road.
The drivers had gone as far as blocking the road during the protest by placing a metal pipe across the road. They had complained that they have incurred thousands of dollars in expenses after their cars were damaged while traversing the road on a daily basis.
During the rains, it is in a worse state with potholes filled water and mud from the machinery slathered on the road making it almost impossible to drive.
Prior to the protest, the Regional Chairman had instructed, Regional Executive Officer, Kim Williams-Stephens, to begin the process of having the roads done since the Minster of Infrastructure had told viewers on a local television programme that it is the responsibility of the Chairman and Vice Chairman to have it done and not the Ministry.

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