Business community bemoans slow pace of airstrip rehabilitation at Eteringbang

Apr 03, 2023 News

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– Public Works Ministry promises it will be completed by July

By Shervin Belgrave

Kaieteur News – Businessmen and women of Eteringbang, Cuyuni River, Region Seven, are concerned that rehabilitative works on the community’s airstrip by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is moving at a sloth’s pace.

GDF and the Public Works Ministry are collaborating to upgrade the airstrip from laterite to a rigid concrete pavement for a total cost of $214.5M.

To facilitate works, the airstrip was closed to commercial flights late last year, but seven months have already passed and according to a few members of the Eteringbang business community, it is nowhere near completion.

They visited Kaieteur News on Saturday and one of them (name provided) said, “Buddae at the rate they going at it look like the airstrip will take two years to finish.”

“Nothing ain’t going on there, them say them concreting the airstrip and they only got one ransom working there… some days they work and other days they don’t”, continued the businessman.

Since the closure of the airstrip, the business community has had to make use of the river to maintain the supply of basic goods to the area, but according to them, it’s very dangerous and risky.

Apart from the dangerous rapids, Venezuelan gangs have set up illegal check-points along the river, stealing their goods and fleecing them of cash.

“When the goods leave bottom side to come up, you ain’t even know if all gon reach up cause sometimes the Sindicatos take away some”, a businesswoman (name provided) alleged.

If they refuse to stop at the check-points, they would be shot at and it is for this reason that some have decided to close-up shop and wait for the airstrip to be re-opened. But they fear losing their livelihood at the alleged slow pace of works by the GDF.  Residents too have reportedly been complaining about the shortage of basic goods since the airstrip was closed.

The Ministry of Public Works has noted the concerns raised and is doing its best to have the airstrip completed as soon as possible, if there are no-more setbacks.  According to the Ministry, “…Works are scheduled to be completed by July 2023”.

“Works on the airstrip”, stated the ministry, “commenced late September 2022”

“These included stockpiling of materials for concrete Works (river sand & gravel) and construction of an access road to the laterite deposit”, the ministry further added.

The project, however, faced major setbacks due to inclement weather and severe flooding in the area causing delay in works.

“Due to inclement weather and the flooding situation within the region, the acquisition of materials from the river (river sand & gravel) and the construction of the access road were delayed considerably”, explained the ministry.

Challenges were also faced in mobilizing equipment to the site early in the project’s life, but these issues, the ministry related, have since been resolved.

With regard to the equipment being used for the project, the Ministry said, “Due to the remoteness of the location and availability of equipment, only the mini-versions of equipment could have been deployed to the site. As a result, the rate of production is low.”

The set-backs had caused works on the airstrip to be suspended but they reportedly recommenced early December, 2022 and since then “preliminary works including preconstruction surveys and clearing of vegetation within the runway strip have been completed.”

Those works, according to the ministry, were completed mid-February 2023 and with some 18 ranks currently working on the ground, the airstrip is on track to be completed by July.

Eteringbang is a remote community located in the Cuyuni district and businesses there largely depend on commercial flights for supply of goods to the area.  The airstrip’s condition, however, had deteriorated over the years, causing pilots to express safety concerns.

In fact, a few planes in recent times have even overshot the runway. Luckily, there were no severe injuries.

Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill had visited the area and residents had requested a more permanent structure because the laterite one would become water logged when it rains.

A decision was made by the government to have the airstrip upgraded through collaboration between the GDF and the Ministry of Public Works.

Some $214M was budgeted in 2022 to have a 150mm thick rigid pavement replace the old laterite airstrip.

The new concrete runway will be some 15.24 metres wide by 610 metres long with steel reinforcement at contraction joints.  The GDF is tasked with implementing the project through its Engineering Corps led by Brigadier Gary Beaton, while contracts were awarded for the supply and delivery of construction materials to Eteringbang.

 

 

 

 

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• airstrip, Cuyuni, Eteringbang, GDF, Region Seven

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