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Only 35% works completed on Cemetery Road project
6 months behind deadline…
Kaieteur News – The ambitious Cemetery Road upgrade project in Georgetown has hit a roadblock, facing substantial delays and falling significantly behind schedule.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, disclosed to this publication that only 35% of the anticipated work has been completed, a stark contrast to the initial deadline set for July 2023.
Awarded to Avinash Construction and Metal Works Company at a cost of $475 million, the project aimed to expand the road to accommodate four lanes, construct concrete drains, a walkway, and perform resurfacing and reconstruction of culverts. However, the contractor has struggled to make substantial progress.
Scenes from the recent visit by Minister Deodat Indar to the project site (Ministry of Public Works photo)
Minister Indar on Wednesday did a site inspection, which highlighted glaring gaps contributing to the project’s delays. Additionally, the failure of Guyana Telephone & Telegraph (GT&T) to splice its fiber cable within the project zone has significantly hindered civil works on the concrete bridge at the head of Princess Street.
In response to these setbacks, the ministry has revised the expected completion date to January 31, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. The ministry assured that there will be\ ongoing monitoring by its engineers to guide the contractor in addressing identified gaps, ensuring timely project completion while minimizing disruption to residents.
During the ministry’s recent end of year press conference, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, warned of potential contract termination should the project not meet this revised deadline. He stressed the importance of timely completion, firmly stating that if the project remains incomplete by the end of January, the contractor will be removed.
The Ministry of Public Works has delineated a series of tasks for execution across different project sections:
Princess Street to Sussex Street:
– Finalizing the southern bridge abutment for traffic diversion to the newly completed western lane.
– Removing unused reinforcement from the work site.
– Completing medians and conducting a comprehensive site cleanup.
– Commencing construction of the eastern lane, involving full-depth shoulder reconstruction from January 4, 2024.
– Facilitating the expansion of existing culverts at the Sussex Street intersection.
– Presenting varied methodologies to expedite project completion (acquiring, stockpiling materials, and advancing phases).
Sussex Street to Middle Street:
– Finalizing reinforced concrete block walls for the western lane drain.
– Completing road widening and installing curb walls on the western lane to prevent ongoing carriageway displacement from open excavated areas.
– Concluding the abandoned road widening on the eastern lane.
– Completing medians and conducting a comprehensive site cleanup.
– Outlining methodologies to hasten project completion (acquiring, stockpiling materials, and progressing through phases).
Front Road/Street to Mandela Avenue:
– Finalizing reinforced concrete block walls for drains on both eastern and western lanes.
– Implementing structural backfilling for drain walls to prevent road movement under vehicular loads, prioritizing swift completion to minimize inconvenience to residents.
– Detailing methodologies for expeditious project completion (acquiring, stockpiling materials, and progressing through phases).
The Cemetery Road upgrade forms part of a larger $1.4 billion project that includes the enhancement of Independence Boulevard, aiming to extend the road to three lanes and establish a recreational promenade.
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