THE Ministry of Public Works recently awarded $1.7 billion in contracts for urban and miscellaneous road development in Regions Two, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Nine and Ten.

Contracts were awarded to 53 contractors at the ministry’s Kingston office, 37 of whom are to complete miscellaneous road works in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) to the tune of $1,163,692,208. Sixteen contractors will complete urban road works in Regions Two, Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Six, Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice) to the tune of $562,297,396, while the ministry has accepted 17 new contractors, who also participated in the open bidding process.

Subject Minister, Bishop Juan Edghill has urged this latest crop of contractors to maintain the existing roads in those communities to which they have been assigned during the construction period, and to also involve the residents in whatever they are doing as much as they possibly can.

“We are in the business of fixing, not breaking, and I want to endorse what Minister Indar says, ‘We have to use some of the streets to get access to some of the roads we are fixing, so let’s be mindful that when we are passing through communities, we are not damaging shoulders; we are not damaging roads, we are taking our time,’ Minister Edghill said, adding:

“Wherever we are executing contracts, before the work begins, a meeting must be held with the community, whether the ministers are present or the permanent secretary, or just the engineers, with the local authority. The people must know that this is the contractor that is executing this work, and the unpriced bill of quantities must be given to the community, so they must be able to monitor the work.”

Meanwhile, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar said the government, since taking office in August 2020, has rehabilitated a number of roads, and will continue to do much more in 2022.

“This budget for public works this year for this miscellaneous urban roads programme is $15.2 billion; it is the biggest we’ve ever had. A number of roads will be constructed… Over the past two years since we have been in government, we have done a lot of roads. This year, it is going to be even more, between ourselves in Public Works, Local Government Ministry, as well as Housing Ministry.”

The road works will be done in asphaltic concrete, reinforced concrete, and rigid pavement, based on the geographic location of the projects. (DPI)