Four-door sluice constructed to provide flood relief

Feb 06, 2020 News

Farmers in the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary area will no longer be plagued by floods. A new four-door sluice is in place at D’Edward, West Coast Berbice.
The $393 million project was completed on January 27, last. Engineer Jason Harewood said that the project was launched on May 4, 2018 and was scheduled to be completed within 18 months.
The need for the sluice became evident after floods in the MMA caused some of the hundreds of farmers to lose their rice crops, repeatedly.
The project involved excavation to sections of the facade drains leading to the Berbice River. It also involved the widening of the earthen embankment and strengthening some 80 metres of rip-rap on the left bank of the Berbice River.
Originally, there was a three-door sluice, which had all but collapsed, leading to the flow of water from the Berbice River into the farmlands at high tides.
This new four-door sluice is located to the north of the old sluice. It is operated by four ten-tonne winches.
The contract cost was $14.7 million and was awarded to Courtney Benn Contracting Services. Harewood said that despite variations to the scope of work, the project was completed below cost.
The project is due to be commissioned within a fortnight.