Six more weeks. That is how long users of the Edinboro-Ottley Hall Road will have to bear with the condition there as the road rehabilitation project drags on.
Minister of Transport and Works, Montgomery Daniel says that the project is now slated to be completed in April.
The latest completion date was given in Parliament in response to a question from West Kingstown MP, Daniel Cummings.
Cummings said work on the road was creating a major inconvenience to vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
The excavation of drains and footings for retaining walls had made driving in the area by the Catholic Pastoral Centre very dangerous, Cummings pointed out.
He asked Daniel about the case of the “undue delay” in the project execution and the newest estimated completion date.
Cummings also wanted to know the total expenditure to date on the project and how it compares to the original contract sum.
Daniel said that the Ottley Hall Road was a sub-project of the National Agriculture and Feeder Roads Project.
The main contractor is Kuwait Dynamics Ltd., and the subcontractor is Dipcon Engineering Services Ltd.
He said 95% of the drainage works had been completed with only two remaining retaining walls under construction.
“But due to the poor performance of the subcontractor in civil works, KDL, the main contractor, has been providing support by executing one of these walls and assisting with some additional civil tasks.”
The works minister said there was a nationwide shortage of base material, including the aggregates required for asphalt mix preparation, “which has caused significant delays in this activity.
“Furthermore, additional factors contributing to the delay included the relocation of certain electrical service poles,” Daniels said.
He said that based on the current progress, the works are projected to be completed by April 30, 2025.
“The contract amount for the sub-project is US$1,718,591,” he said.
The works minister told Parliament that US$584,632.57, or 34.02% of the contracted sum, had been spent.
“Upon completion of the civil works, which includes the drains, the retaining walls, work will be focused on the road base preparation and surfacing. The surfacing activity usually occupies a fraction of the time of the civil works, and it also represents the lion’s share of the contract sum,” Daniel said.
However, Cummings noted that he had specifically asked what the original contract sum was.
“The contract sum I have here is $1.7 million. I do not have a contract that was original as against what you say,” Daniel said.
Why is this happening despite all the money that is being borrowed? Why do Caribbean nations REMAIN poor and in debt to Western nations? Why are our problems never solved? That is because the Government is working for Western interest and not for the people who are their populations. It is time these things stop.
This seems more like opinionated comment than proper news. However the works need to be done. Too bad the media does not dominate the art of communication. All is fine we know the truth. Why stop some people and allow other people. Most lob sided.