Dear Editor,
I would like to draw to the public’s attention the rapid deterioration of the northbound lanes of the recently constructed Section 2 on the East Bank Demerara Road.
Lot 2 which was built by GAICO Construction, runs from approximately the entrance to the DDL offices in Little Diamond to the Caribbean Containers Inc facility at Farm.
No sooner than you enter these northbound lanes you notice an almost continuous longitudinal crack in the pavement located between one and two metres from the eastern edge of the road (next to the median). This is not the only longitudinal crack, as there are several more of varying lengths and distances from the road edge.
There are half a dozen areas with alligator cracks, evidence of asphalt shoving, uneven pavement, poor rideability and many transverse cracks in the bicycle/pedestrian lane on the western side of the lanes. Incidentally, the bicycle lane is the asphalt strip to the west of the concrete curb. This curb was included in the design to prevent vehicles from operating within the bicycle lane.
New potholes regularly develop in the pavement. These are crudely patched and add to the more than a dozen patches that already exist in this section. We now have a very recently constructed road which is rapidly falling apart, so recently constructed that we are still well within the defects liability period.
It should be clear to all that these two second-hand-looking, pock-marked, worn-out, uneven lanes are in serious trouble, so serious that it is obvious they will need reconstruction in the not too distant future.
Compare these lanes to the northbound lanes in Lot 3 which were built by BK International. BK’s lanes run from the entrance to the Diamond Housing Scheme to the DDL offices. While BK’s two lanes are not without their faults, they are in far better condition than the lanes built by the other company, even though all the lanes were built at the same time and ground conditions in both Lot 2 and Lot 3 were substantially the same prior to construction.
You can also compare both BK and the other company’s northbound lanes to the corresponding lanes of the four-lane extension project which runs from the Demerara Harbour Bridge to Greenfield Park. This project was completed nine years ago and the lanes are still in good condition.
There should be an inquiry to determine if these premature failures are due to a faulty design or sloppy construction combined with substandard materials and poor construction supervision, or some other unforeseen factors. The public needs to know what the causes of the premature failures are, and above all who is responsible and who will bear the cost for the repairs.
And I would caution both the supervision consultant and the government project representative to keep their eyes on the contractor’s performance bond and not allow it to expire without taking appropriate action.
For those with a short memory I will remind you of the contract which was awarded to Fip Motilall to build the road to the Amaila Falls hydro site. Carelessness on the part of someone (yet to be identified) allowed the bond to expire, (expiration date 17.7.2011). It was not until 19.12.2011 that the government made a claim which was denied by the Hand-in-Hand Insurance Company which correctly pointed out the bond had expired. The net result was a loss to the government of US$1.5 million.
Yours faithfully,
Edward Gonsalves
