– weight-control system for heavy duty vehicles soon

By Rabindra Rooplall
THE Ministry of Public Infrastructure will soon be implementing weight-control systems for heavy-duty vehicles on the roads of Georgetown and the roadways in the hinterland, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson has said.This was disclosed Thursday at the official opening of the access road project at the entrance of TCL Guyana, at the Princes and Water Streets junction, Georgetown. Among attendees at the simple ribbon-cutting ceremony were Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, Public Infrastructure engineers, Plant Manager Mark Bender and TCL officials.
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP
Underscoring that the road project was a public-private partnership between TCL and the Infrastructure Ministry, Minister Patterson said last year when TCL approached the ministry about paving the road, the ministry welcomed the initiative.
The minister noted that not often a private company approaches the ministry to undertake such a project. He said the road is a continuation of Princes and Water Streets and although it falls under the Public Infrastructure Ministry, TCL did not care that there will be other beneficiaries when the project was completed, but sought to identify a problem and assist with a solution.
Expressing his hope for more ventures of its nature, Minister Patterson said the partnership is monumental in its use of modern approaches and technologies.
RIGID PAVEMENT
“The history of rigid pavement construction have proven to be successful and in this case we have witnessed the success once again. In Guyana, we can see rigid pavement construction in communities such as South and North Ruimveldt and private housing communities,” the minister noted.
He said the cost of a rigid pavement can be more expensive than a flexible pavement, but the benefits certainly outweigh the costs. Minister Patterson said he is hoping to replicate such technologies across Guyana, particularly in the hinterland communities.
NEW APPROACHES
The ministry is executing rigid pavement roads in Mahdia, the Minister noted, as flexible pavement roads require more maintenance and Mahdia which is soon to be a town needs more roads which will take less maintenance. He said in 2017 a similar exercise will be done in Lethem. “To spread the technology TCL can meet us half way once again in another project.”
He said the government is always willing to learn new approaches in solving old problems.