…briefs residents, officials on ongoing projects

MINISTRY of Public Infrastructure David Patterson on Wednesday led a team to New Amsterdam to review ongoing works being executed by the ministry following reports of unnecessary downtime.

Along with the Permanent Secretary Kenneth Jordan and Coordinator/Chief Works Officer of the Work Services Group Geoffrey Vaughn, Minister Patterson turned out early in the morning to inspect the progress of works being undertaken on Main and Republic Streets in New Amsterdam.

In a release, the MPI said the visit came on the heels of reports to the ministry of slothfulness in the execution of the project, which has caused inconveniences to the residents of the community. During the visit, Minister Patterson met with a number of officials, including the ministry’s Region #6 Regional Engineer; the contractor, Associated Contractor Company; and a representative from the Community Oversight Committee to ascertain the reasons behind the delay and determine the way forward.

As a result of the visit, a number of solutions were determined, including the reopening of one lane of the road to vehicular traffic to reduce the level of inconvenience experienced by the residents. Nonetheless, it was emphasised that all necessary steps, such as the testing of materials, must be taken to ensure that the work will stand the test of time, despite the delays these steps may cause.

“We don’t want to do something that’s just fast; we want to do something that is correct,” Minister Patterson stressed. He also emphasised that any internal conflicts must be put aside, since the residents were ultimately the ones being affected.

The works, which include scarification, asphalting, and deep-patching of failed sections, are now expected to conclude by mid-December. Works have also been stalled on Republic Street and the visit to this site saw Minister Patterson urging remobilisation of the contractor to ensure that the project progresses as planned. “These are main streets in New Amsterdam and residents should not have to go through this; we cannot do this to people,” Minister Patterson emphasised to the engineer.

Meanwhile, the team from the ministry also visited the East Bank Berbice road, the second such trip to the project in recent months. Just three weeks ago, Minister Patterson led a team to the project site for a first-hand look at the progress of works to date. He also met with officials from Berbice to discuss infrastructural works being undertaken in the region.

Ongoing projects
Meanwhile, Patterson on Tuesday met with officials from Berbice to discuss infrastructural works being undertaken in the region, including the East Bank Berbice road project. Minister Patterson provided an update on a number of projects when he met with Regional Chairman, Mr. David Armogan and his regional councillors; Regional Executive Officer (REO), Mrs. Kim Williams-Stephens; representatives from the Community Oversight Committee (COC); and engineers from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure who are overseeing works within the region.

Minister Patterson explained that the meeting was facilitated to primarily provide an update on the East Bank of Berbice road project, which has seen some delays. He apologised on behalf of the ministry for the inconveniences caused and further said that he wanted feedback from the officials as well as to share the progress of works on other Berbice projects and areas of focus in 2018.

East Bank Berbice road
After going through the progress of about a dozen projects already under way within the region, the focus turned to the East Bank Berbice road. Resident Engineer, Mr. Joel Tucker, explained that the current delays are due to ongoing relocation of utilities as well as the sourcing of materials. Nonetheless, he said, the ministry’s team is working around the clock to get the project rolling. He added that the issue of dust pollution is being addressed through the wetting of the roadway, but these efforts will be doubled by the introduction of another water tender.

The main concern going ahead, he added, is the relocation of the road’s alignment. He noted that, as part of the project, a revision of the road’s alignment is necessary to maximise the functionality and safety of the roadway. Currently, large trucks are forced to manoeuvre around sharp turns in some areas, with blind-spots placing road users at risk. However, Mr. Tucker said, the alignment will most likely require the re-acquisition of land gazetted as the Government of Guyana’s. In some areas, residents reside on these lands.

In response, Minister Patterson said that the government is focused on minimising the inconvenience residents may face. “We will only take what is needed; if we can avoid homes in the realignment, we will,” Minister Patterson emphasised. He added that residents are being kept in the loop through the COC representatives and will be sensitised on the possible acquisition process.

After the meeting, Minister Patterson visited the roadway to get a first-hand look at the challenges being experienced. He also visited works being executed by the ministry in New Amsterdam on Main, Strand, and Republic Streets and the communities of Canje and Belvedere Housing Scheme.

During the community visits, Minister Patterson met with residents and received feedback from the residents, who expressed satisfaction with ongoing road works but requested the installation of speed bumps. According to the residents, the roads are being used as “race courses,” a situation they would like to be rectified to improve safety. The $1.2B East Bank Berbice Road Project will feature the upgrade of nearly 5km of roadway and will include improved roadway lighting and markings; traffic signs; and the reconstruction of two bridges and two culverts.