In a letter published in the November 7th edition of Stabroek News, Colin Marks, of the Pattensen Community Development Council, said the road was completed in 2006 after the community benefitted from a road construction project, however, within a year of its completion, more than 30% of the road’s surface had been compromised and needed to be repaired.
Marks, who was happy when he learned that the 2012 budget allocated $33 million to be used for road repairs, said rehabilitation works were long overdue even though some “patching” had been done in 2011. He stated that the road and its carriageways serve the 5,000 people residing in the community, who own about 150 vehicles. In addition, he noted that the operators of the fleet of about 28 minibuses that service this section of Pattensen continue to risk their safety and their vehicles for the sake of the residents.
In addition to easing traffic traversing the East Coast Highway, Marks noted that the road is strategically placed on the only carriageway in the Sophia area which is accessible by vehicular traffic via the three bridges—which the community built and maintains—that come from Lamaha Park and other sister communities in Georgetown.
Officials from the Ministry of Public Works confirmed that the ‘B’ Field road falls under an Urban Development Programme and that monies have indeed been budgeted for its rehabilitation. One official stated that there are plans to repair the entire road, which also provides access to the area for vehicles and people in Lamaha Park, Guyhoc Park, and several other nearby communities, so as to make the flow of traffic smoother. He stated, however, that though bids have been submitted by various contracting services, the contract for the road has not yet been awarded, and certain aspects of the project are still awaiting approval.
This, he says, are the main reasons the road has not yet been rehabilitated.
In the meantime, residents of the area continue to complain and suffer the woes of having to deal with the road on a daily basis. One resident, who has a stall on the side of the road, stated that in many cases the potholes that litter the road cause damage to buses and cars. He also stated that when it rains, the water washes away the stones that were thrown into potholes as patch work. This, he said, happens because the road has not been properly tarred.
Marks stated that in order to alleviate some of the danger and discomfort, youths in the community are constantly looking for all types of builder’s waste, which they use to “put into the gaping craters that the road has been reduced to.” He is urging the relevant ministry to take action while the dry season prevails, as the wet season may bring with it more complications.
