By Ariana Gordon

BY mid-May remedial works to D’urban Park should be completed, according to Chief Works Officer Geoffrey Vaughn. A budgetary allocation under the Ministry of Public Infrastructure of $150M will be used for the completion of this phase of the project.Vaughn told reporters yesterday morning that it is the intention of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to have all outstanding works on D’urban Park completed within 21 days. Works by that ministry commenced yesterday.
The engineer said that the roofing and remedial works for the spectators’ bleachers, the completion of the superstructure, walls, electrical wiring, lighting and power supply, tarmac, driveways, bridges, sanitary facilities and drainage will all be completed within the stipulated time.
According to him, D’urban Park would be ready to host Guyana’s 50th Independence anniversary celebrations.

“21 days is the completion time. Our approach is multiple and simultaneous work activities. You will see quite a few contractors will be mobilised along with the ministry’s staff trying to put this together,” he told reporters at a media briefing held at the Ministry of the Presidency yesterday morning.
TWO SHIFTS
Workers will be working two shifts, one set during the day and the other during the evening. Vaughn explained the scope of works for the completion of the bleachers following an inspection by engineers.
“…there will be a replacement for the damaged members and these are basically columns, beams and decking…from our inspection we would have noticed we need to have some changes… installation of the additional structural members that is basically to strengthen the ability for these stands to be able to carry the loads that they’d have to carry.”

SAFETY
Additionally, he noted that ensuring the bleachers are safe is the most important aspect of the works being done.
“The bleachers are the most important thing – ensuring that it is structurally sound, so when using it we would be able to have a proper bearing capacity and no stands collapsing,” he stated.
Twenty-seven bleachers are to be completed by mid-May and approximately seven contractors will be used to complete the gamut of works left to be done.
Meanwhile, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson noted that his ministry has the capacity to carry out the works needed to have D’urban Park completed, noting that manpower is not an issue.
“Yes, we do feel we have sufficient manpower…we will split it up…it will also help in the creation of employment,” said Minister Patterson.
“The administration has previously worked a model, which would have been for the opening of the Arch and the Inauguration, which was a Private-Public Partnership and we continued with that model for the D’urban Park development. However, there are some constraints in that, the primary one being the mobilisation of resources, cetera. It is a national project. It is for the nation. The jubilee celebration is not a singular activity. It is an activity which will be celebrated by all Guyanese and at this stage, because of time constraints and mobilisation of equipment and resources, it was felt that it [would] be better handled now under the Ministry [of Public Infrastructure], which has the resources to so do,” he added.
And even as time draws near for the hosting of Guyana’s 50th Independence celebrations, Minister Patterson expressed confidence in his team of engineers’ ability to complete the works within the stipulated time.
“As you know, it will be a push because there are two things; a fear of the rains and floods, and we have somewhat tackled that, and then there are some issues in the media of safety and so, but all of that will be addressed in time for the jubilee celebrations. We have examined the site and we have met all the persons so that there is an orderly handover and we have developed a plan,” the minister said.
Patterson noted that an inventory of the project is currently being done and he has asked the previous developers to provide all information required. He said the amount of money spent on the project will be made public in due course.
He explained that the $150M allocation by central government for infrastructural development is more than enough to finish this phase of the project. “There is no need for contingency,” said the minister. There is the possibility that government will also receive a grant to fund the works.
“The funding in the initial stage is under a Line Item at our ministry, which is for Infrastructural Development that can be used. There are alternatives including, but has not [yet] been concluded, a grant funding which has been earmarked for such development. Cabinet has made available the sum under this Line Item and I can expend as much as $150M. However, at this initial stage, we do have to get this finished before, so there won’t be need for any contingency. The grant funding can be used to fund the remainder of the works,” Patterson told reporters.
There are 27 stands and it is expected that between five to seven contractors will be asked to work on these and to pull double shifts so that the deadline can be met.
He said the contractors, who were prequalified by the ministry earlier this year, during the opening of bids for infrastructural works, will be asked to make submissions in keeping with the rules and regulations of the National Tender and Procurement Board.
“We usually prequalify contractors at the beginning of the year, so we would have had a list. We would have selected 13-15 contractors and then ask them to submit… they have to show that they [can] fulfil these requirements; that they have the capacity, the manpower and financial capabilities because we are working double shifts, so that would mean a double wage bill at the end of the week,” he said.
The Ministry of Communities in collaboration with the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown will ensure that the cleaning and clearing of the drainage systems are done.
Members of the media were taken on a tour of D’urban Park and were told what to expect at the venue over the next three weeks.