Rehabilitation and maintenance works are expected to begin within the next few days on several streets within the city, following the signing of $418M worth of contracts yesterday at the Public Works Ministry.
The contracts were awarded to three contracting firms, Gaico Construction Services Inc, Dipcon Engineering Services Limited and Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited, which will carry out two of the four allotted contracts. The contracts, which were approved by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board, were inked at the Public Works and Communications Ministry at Wight’s Lane, Kingston.
The road works, which will be undertaken by Gaico construction, will be done at Subryanville, Section K Campbellville, Newtown, Kitty and Prashad Nagar. Dipcon Engineering will carry out maintenance works to streets within the communities of Kingston, Alberttown and Queenstown as well as the rehabilitation/construction of five roads in the Kingston/Lamaha area. Courtney Benn Construction Company will carry out maintenance works on 23 roads as well as the construction and rehabilitation of 15 roads within the city. According to the Works Ministry, the works are expected to be undertaken within a period of three to four months and Transport and Hydraulics Minister Robeson Benn noted that engineers will be recruited to monitor the progress of works and ensure efficiency and quality of work undertaken. Benn stated that there were conditions specified in the contracts for penalties to be brought against those contractors who may not complete their respective projects within the specified timeframe. He added that two issues, namely bad weather and supply of materials, have always been the cause of delay in works but he noted that such claims are always investigated.
Minister Benn said that the ministry did not wish to engage in any “arguments” with the Georgetown municipality as regards the maintenance of roads within the city. According to him, his ministry has seen it necessary to carry out the works, since there has been a growing need to improve the condition of the roadways to satisfy the needs of the citizenry. He noted that the ministry has been able to expand its capacity in terms of the number of engineers under its employ to monitor road projects. He also cited the growing vehicular population as a reason for the need to improve roads in the city’s network.
Meanwhile, Benn also announced that a $54M contract has also been tendered for the rehabilitation of a road at Cane Grove in the East Bank of Demerara.
At the same time, contracts to the tune of $150M will be awarded for works to be effected to roads in regions 2,3,4,5 and 6, where double bituminous surfaces will be constructed. Under the “miscellaneous roads project,” works will be effected to roads in the New Amsterdam area— mainly Angoy’s Avenue—which according to Benn has been in a deplorable state for sometime.
Works on the projects will be undertaken using asphaltic concrete.
