Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud has admitted “difficulties” in maintaining crusher run- and some Double Bituminous Surface Treatment (DBST)-surface roads in many communities.
He was speaking at the start of a road maintenance training workshop on Monday, under the US$18.7M Community Roads Improvement Programme (CRIP).
According to the Government Information Agency (GINA), Persaud warned that the CRIP programme would pose “severe” challenges with regards to the type of surface being placed on roads, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported, while saying that he charged participants at the workshop not to dismiss issues that are raised.
The CDB-funded CRIP seeks to improve the conditions of tertiary roads in several communities and to strengthen the capacity of institutions responsible for their maintenance. Road maintenance training is seen as a key component in ensuring the sustainability of the roads, GINA added.
The workshop, organised by the Local Government and Housing and Water ministries, drew participation from Neighbourhood Demo-cratic Councils (NDCs), including overseers and assistant overseers, as well as Clerks of Work and other Regional Democratic Council (RDC) officials.
The sessions combine theoretical and practical courses and classroom activities are complemented by practical demonstration activities on topics such as road condition survey, pavement evaluation and patches and shoulder repairs, GINA reported.
In his feature address, Persaud lauded the concept of the CRIP programme for combining infrastructure development, maintenance and institutional strengthening and capacity building. He praised the programme’s design as a unique concept that should be emulated and urged participants to use the training to become better informed about how to confront the task of road maintenance in their respective communities and regions.
Persaud also said that through access to aid provided by numerous donor and funding agencies, over the years government had been able to transform earthen and in some cases sand loam surfaces and crusher runs to DBST surfaces. However, over time the ministry has found it challenging to maintain crusher run and to some extent DBST surfaces in many communities.
CRIP seeks to improve roads, drains and parapets in housing areas in NDCs in regions 3, 4, 5 and 6. About 206 roads are expected to be upgraded to either DBST finished or asphalt concrete. Safety features are also to be enhanced in 12 NDCs, including Best Klein/ Pouderoyen, Stewartville/ Cornelia Ida, Tuschen/ Uitvlugt, Unity/Vereeniging, Haslington/Grove, Mon Repos/La Reconnaissance, Industry/Plaisance, Golden Grove/Diamond Place, Rosignol/Zeelust, Bath/ Woodley Park and Port Mourant/John.
More than 40 other roads will be rehabilitated under this programme with funding provided by government, GINA said.
These works are set to start in the third quarter of 2012.
