Contractors undertaking the US$10M Georgetown Sanitation Improvement Programme (GSIP) said the delay in restoring roads and private property damaged during the work is due to a shortage of materials, including the vital ‘Crusher Run’ stone.
On Wednesday, GWI CEO Shaik Baksh, programme managers, engineers, project contractors Nabi and Sons Limited and supervision consultants GITEC inspected a number of the sites (roads, bridges and private property) that are due to be repaired. The team disclosed that the current country-wide shortage of road repair materials is hindering the pace at which the works can be done.
The team inspected streets that were completed after the Sewerage Delivery Main had been reinstalled, including the junction at Hadfield and Haley Streets, Sussex, Forshaw, New Market, Regent, Barrack, Quamina, Waterloo, Wellington, Smythe and Light streets, a press release from the company said.
GWI officials said they were satisfied with the repair works and remarked that they were expecting the same quality of works from the contractors of the street repairs, following the installation of the force mains. This phase of the programme is ongoing and will result in closed roads and traffic diversions from Light Street and South Road junction to the Regent and Light Street junction; from the Smythe and Hadfield Street junction to Smythe Street and South Road; from Wellington Street and South Road to Wellington and Regent streets; from Hadfield Street and Winter Place to the South Road junction and from Wellington and Regent streets to Wellington and Quamina streets.
Meanwhile, the company is appealing to the public for continued patience as the reinstallation of the force main which measures 580 mm in diameter will require significant excavation of the aforementioned roadways. GWI has requested that contractors ensure the least inconvenience to the travelling public, including that steps be implemented for dust control. The company has also asked contractors to ensure that the safety signs for motorists are adequate and it was assured that they would be treated as priority.
On completion of the programme, expected in the third quarter of 2014, residents can expect a significant reduction in sewage overflows and an overall improvement in the sanitation and hygiene of Georgetown.
