WORK on the Champaign Road, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, is expected to commence today following the award of a contract to the tune of $64M to Timehri Contracting Services.

The road is in a deplorable state. Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, on Tuesday paid a visit to the construction site following complaints by residents. Minister Indar said work on the road is expected to be completed within two months.

He explained that earlier in the year, a contract was awarded to another contractor who failed to carry out his end of the work and his services had to be terminated.
“It [the road] was mud and bad and the community complained. We went out to tender and we had awarded a contractor that was woefully inadequate in his response to do this road… after repeated calls and meetings with him to get this road done, we had to move as a ministry to cancel his contract,” Minister Indar said.

The road is about one kilometer long, there is a nearby trench and the road is slipping into it, so there will have to be revetment.
The minister said he will revisit the site to ensure the work is properly done and apologised to residents of the community for the poor work of the previous contractor.

The minister will also meet with farmers to inform them that they cannot drive their tractors on the road while it is being constructed. They will have to wait until the paved surface is completely dry.
Chairman of the Mahaicony Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC), Deonarine Singh, who accompanied Minister Indar on his visit to the road, said the previous contractor was “bad’ and he and the residents are greatly appreciative that another contractor is awarded the contract.