$1.6m more for Ribishi playing area where wall collapsed 

The government will spend a further EC$1,65 million on Minister of Finance Camillo Gonsalves’ “pet project”, the playing field in Ribishi, where a retaining wall collapsed after the government had spent $2 million to increase its width by 50%.

The walls collapsed after heavy rains in August 2023 and a government evaluation blamed inadequate structure design and lack of drainage behind the wall.

West Kingstown MP, Daniel Cummings asked about the rehabilitation of the playing field in Parliament, noting that the wall that collapsed had cost EC$500,000 to build.

He also noted that Gonsalves, the MP for East St. George, where the playing field is located, had promised an analysis of the wall failure and the replacement of the wall executed expeditiously to make the playing field useful to the residents. 

Cummings asked when corrective work on the retaining wall and playing field would begin and the targeted completion date.

He also asked Daniel, who is the minister of transport, works, lands and physical planning, about the findings of the analysis that his ministry was due to be conducted by his ministry, as stated by Gonsalves.

Cummings also wanted to know the estimated cost of corrective work to the wall and playing field which had been dug up; and whether the  Ministry of Works was aware that the road and the retaining wall directly above the playing field were apparently compromised. 

Daniel told Parliament that the area that the residents used as a playing field had been a small, underdeveloped piece of land. 

It did not allow for regulation-size football or cricket grounds, nor did it provide for changing room facilities, parking or built spectator seating. 

The works minister said that the National Lotteries Authority undertook to improve the playing field with in-house designs and supervision. 

“Prior to the wall collapse, the facility was substantially complete to the sum of $2,008,741.15 that was spent for its improvement,” Daniel said. 

The opposition MP said that because of the collapse, the playing field was created on the side of a slope using two main retaining walls.

One of the walls supported the excavated upper embankment and one supported fill material on the lower embankment. 

Walls were built along the sides to retain the fill material that was hauled in to create a larger playing field surface. 

Daniel said the side walls tied in with the main wall to provide additional support to it. 

“The final field dimensions were approximately 50% wider than the original size, with a major increase in length,” he said.

‘inadequate structure design and lack of drainage’

The minister told Parliament that the technical examination of the failed wall indicated an inadequate structure design and lack of drainage behind the wall.

He said that the wall collapsed following a week of rain, adding that the wall on the lower embankment collapsed under the weight of the water-laden soil behind it.

“The retaining wall on the upper embankment did not fail but showed some signs of distress at that time,” Daniel told Parliament.

“Subsequent construction traffic has exacerbated the inherent weakness of the wall, requiring it to be rebuilt sooner rather than later.

He said that the washroom facility was not damaged, but the soak pit would need to be rebuilt. 

There was no damage to the neighbouring properties. 

Corrective works

Daniel said the National Lotteries Authority undertook the corrective work with the assistance of the Ministry of Transport and Works. 

Phase 1 was the removal and disposal of the failed material, phase 2 was the wall redesign and phase 3 was the construction of the new wall to replace the field Wall.

The works minister said the removal of and disposal of the backfill material was directly contracted to Sea Operations, using a measured work contract for the sum of EC$302,805.24

“These works were considered the emergency works as the failed wall and material behind were located above residential buildings.”

Daniel said the material was stored temporarily at the field, avoiding the immediate danger to buildings below, and then subsequently transported to the Diamond Landfill. 

The contract was completed in June 2024.

The lower wall was redesigned by the Ministry of Transport and Works and bids were supplied by six established civil works contractors.

Daniel said the National Lotteries awarded Reliable Construction an EC$1,652,400.20 contract.

He said the work was ongoing and was expected to be completed by August.

In a supplementary question, Daniel noted that EC$2.05 million was initially spent on the playing field, plus EC$300,000 for the clean up and EC$1.6 million for repairs. 

The West Kingstown MP further noted that the sum did not include the cost of design, etc, done by the Ministry of Works.

“In other words, for a playing field, a very small playing field, with incremental increase, the minister is telling us that the country has to pay nearly $5 million and hope we will get to playing field. Is that what we’re getting?”

In response, Daniel said that he had indicated that before the collapse of the wall, the NLA had spent EC$2 million on the project.

“But part of that, of course, is the wall that was built that collapsed. And, therefore, after the wall was collapsed, to remove the fill material, Sea Operations were given the contract at the cost of $302,805 and another 1.6. And, therefore, for the remedial works to be done, the sum of $1.6 million has been allocated to have the work done,” Daniel told Parliament.