Senior Project Manager of what will be Guyana’s first synthetic track Patrick Pitt, Director of Design and Construction Services Limited, said yesterday that the facility was almost two thirds completed.
Pitt made the disclosure during a visit to the Leonora facility by media operatives yesterday.
He told the media that the overall completion of the facility stood at 65 per cent.
“We have achieved a lot to date, more than what we had expected. What you are actually seeing and standing on is the turf which is asphalt-based mix designed separately as a vapour release that is different from the surface and one which will hold the Regupol material for the track,” he said.
“The workers are currently topping up the outlying areas as they have to bring up the curb of the track to approximately 13mm higher so as to accommodate the laying of the track, which is a liquid material, and it would not spill over,” he added.
The German Company, BSW Regupol will lay the synthetic materials on the completed asphalt.
Pitt said the asphalt-based mix, which was designed separately to release vapour, will hold the Regupol material which is a combination of rubber granules or fibers and polyurethane binders
.
The perimeter of the track will be secured and protected internally and externally by a material which is expected to be either of fabric or plastic before the rubber is being laid. Pitt said that the protection is necessary as foreign influence is forbidden as it will interfere with the process.
“Once the laying of the track is being done, there cannot be any type of foreign influence impeding the process, in terms of seeds, sand and even the movement of persons. In the near future and just before the arrival of the Regupol personnel, we will be setting up a perimeter of the track, both internal and external of the track itself with a protective material be it fabric or plastic, so that they can execute their work,” said Pitt.
Work on infrastructures and the lawns on the facility are developing as well, reported the Senior Project Manager.
“On the field if you notice we already placed speed moss, we graded and we had to reshape it and we should be planting the grass very soon.
The contractors are supposed to plant and then maintain for six months because the seeds which we are using should take about, approximately 5-7 weeks to germinate,” Pitt explained.
“The other thing is you will notice the main entrance building and ticket booth is up and is almost 90% completed but we may not go further with that because of the other constructions ongoing right now. The gates and everything is already swinging as for the roads we have the by-pass roads which is just over 70% completed,” he continued.
Construction is set to begin on the outer field which includes the stands and lawn with emergency exit and entrance ramps at the four ends of facility.
Situated in the centre of the track is the football field; secured in the track also is the steeplechase pool.
The surfacing of the synthetic track is expected to be completed in December.
Meanwhile Steve Ninvalle, Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport yesterday said he was satisfied with the progress of the facility.
“One new development is that the materials of the turfing of the track has arrived and we plan to start doing the surface soon,” he disclosed.
Ninvalle also revealed approximately G$450M has already been spent on the facility.
“Basically we have spent G$450M on the track,” he said adding that the amount of G$870M has been given out in contracts.
