Following letters and reports in the press about road work at Tuschen that failed just months after completion, the Ministry of Public Works has instructed the contractor, Mohamed Fawaz Bacchus Construction and Transportation to remedy the defects.
On November 28, Stabroek News published a letter from Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo residents complaining about the work. In a statement yesterday afternoon, the ministry said that it had taken note of an article on November 30, 2021, by Kaieteur News, titled ‘$32 million road works at Tuschen crumbles 8 months after completion.’
“We would like to provide clarity on the matter, a contract was awarded to Mohamed Fawaz Bacchus Construction and Transportation for the sum of $32,147,360, signed on November 25, 2020 and pavement works completed by May 4, 2021.
“The contract was for partial reconstruction and repairs to deteriorated intersection (pot hole patching and asphalt over layering) on Phase 1 Tuschen Main Access Road.
“Subsequent to pavement works completion, a normal site inspection was conducted in May 2021; it was noted that some of the pot holes on the Main Access Road remained the same.
“An audit of the works was requested by Hon. Minister Deodat Indar, which involved inspection by the senior engineers and the Internal Audit team from the Ministry of Public Works.
“The audit revealed that the total work of Asphaltic Concrete Coverage under the Contract was 90m whereby the contractor paved 167m, which involved paving pot holes and sections of cross streets intersecting to the main access road which was more than the contractual obligation”, the ministry said.
The statement added that the sectional failures observed at the Police Outpost measured 70m, of which the contractor repaired two sections measuring six meters each at both ends of the failed section.
“There are pot holes visible at the corners of the road which the contractor was instructed to fix.
The area that currently has the pot holes and visible failures were not paved by this contractor. The large pot holes seen now did not surface at the time these inspections were conducted and has developed recently due to water being trapped in this 70m section of the road…”, the ministry said.
It added that the lifespan of the existing asphaltic concrete has elapsed as this road was constructed many years ago. The ministry said that the surface has worn down and is under 1 (one) inch thick and it cannot withstand the traffic load conditions.
“Ministry of Public Works would immediately address the failed sections and the contractor was instructed to remedy the defects, since it’s within the contractor’s one year defects liability period under the contract”, the statement said.
The Ministry apologized to commuters for inconvenience caused.
The government’s infrastructure programme will be under close scrutiny as concerns have been expressed about major expenditure but without local contractors having the capacity to execute all of the works.
