By Emmerson Campbell
Keeping up with its promise to allow the media to access the Synthetic Athletic Track at Leonora every two months, the Ministry of Sport yesterday allowed journalists to have a first hand look at the progress of work being done.
Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Sports Ministry, Steve Ninvalle and Director of Design and Constructions Limited, Patrick Pitt took the media on a tour of the facility that will be Guyana’s first international track when it is completed late next year.
Pitt said that the facility is currently in Phase two – Lot Five and noted that the track should be laid by mid 2013.
“The track as it is right now in terms of laying is just about, I will say before the mid of next year,” said Pitt.
“We should have the synthetic track laid here, what you could see here right now is the loam surface which has to be completed and then we will put on some crusher run, six inches of crusher run and after that crusher run we will add two layers of asphalted concrete.
“The first will be a different layer from the second layer. After that is completed it will be left for a maybe a month or more depending on the weather and then we will have Regupol come and inspect and then they will say when they will install the track.
“In the last two months we completed the sub surface drainage, then we had to put some sand, some stone and at present we are working on the external surface drain.”
He added:“In the next two months you will see the drainage works almost complete, the crusher run should be in and we may start doing some work on the field.”
When quizzed if the project has attracted any additional costs, Pitt stated that there was “nothing major to speak about.”
Meanwhile, Ninvalle stated that media visits will continue at the facility in order for the media to be accurate on their reports of track’s progress.
“The reason for the members of the media being here is because we do not want you to be hissing or butting when you have to write,” Ninvalle stated.
”You must be on the ground and be able to see exactly what is going on, you must be able to say do I see any development do I see any progress from when I first came to now that is why we have kept this promise that maybe every two months we will have the media here so when you take it to the public you will writing on first hand information.”
