Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill yesterday oversaw the signing of fifty contracts for roads within Region Six to the tune of $1.921b, spanning a total length of 23,784 metres.
Edghill at the signing told the contractors present that the road programme is advancing in Region Six as is being done in other regions.
According to Edghill, the bids for the fifty contracts were opened on March 30 and closed on April 20. Under miscellaneous roads Phase 1 F $561, 188, 972 will be expended on 6550 metres, while in Phase 1 G $551, 860, 943 will be expended on 8150 metres. Under urban roads Phase 1 B some $808, 885, 787 will be spent on 9084 metres.
The contracts entail rehabilitation of existing alignments to either asphaltic concrete, rigid pavement, concrete pavement or in some cases square pavers.
At the signing, Edghill stated, “We are going to be doing fifty roads in this phase… … some have four months and some between three and twelve months depending on the size of the contract and the scope of work but while we are having three to twelve months this is a 2023 programme and we will be pushing to ensure that all of you get your work done before the close of 2023.”
Meanwhile, Edghill warned the contractors that he does not want a repeat of what has previously happened in Berbice “where people open a road and then they realize they ain’t got crusher run or they dig up a road and then they looking for money to buy sand.”
He stressed, “Stockpile your materials before you start construction so that once you start construction the inconveniences the people suffer would be minimized and we would be able to deliver a quality road in the shortest possible time.”
He added that that behaviour would not be tolerated, further stressing “stockpile your material.”
He said that the contracts for the roads signed yesterday came about following outreaches by President Irfaan Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo to Region Six “where people asked that these roads be fixed …”
“In this first phase we are making an attempt to satisfy some of these demands and to improve the lives of people and we really want to do that.”
He then called on contractors to be sensitive and cognizant of the realities that people suffer, while he appealed to the public to be considerate as well, stressing that the roads can’t be fixed unless the contractors are allowed to work.
Further, Edghill reminded that the engineers and contractors must meet with residents in “every community” where a road will be built. He noted, that the engineer must provide to the residents an unpriced bill of quantity and introduce the contractor to the community. “The community must be aware of when the work is starting and when it is expected to finish so they must be mentally prepared, make the necessary adjustments and we will be able to proceed.”
Additionally, he said, the ministry’s engineers and clerk of works will be held “accountable” for the projects.
